Baby, Let's Play House
by greenlemons
Summary: Sequel to Over the Hills and Far Away. Moving to Stockholm, being a new wife and settling her baby-daddy drama puts a lot of strain between the newly married Eric and Sookie. Will they remember what's important through it all? AH/AU
1. Baby, What a Surprise

**AN: So here it is folks. The sequel to _Over the Hills and Far Away_.**

**I hope you find and follow this okay!**

**I have a beta now: beatlechickstep! YAY!!! **

**On with the show!  
**

_"He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced--or seemed to face--the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself."_  
— F. Scott Fitzgerald, _The Great Gatsby_

Chapter 1: Baby, What a Surprise

"Eric we are not having sex in the bathroom," I said firmly.

We were in a proper plane flying to New York City then catching a connecting flight to New Orleans and then driving five hours to Bon Temps.

We had been married three days. It felt the same with Eric. I didn't feel profoundly different as a wife, and Eric acted exactly the same. He had changed from my one-night stand, to travel buddy, to lover, to boyfriend, to fiancé and to husband. Right now, he was sliding his hand from my knee up my inner thigh. You give a guy one quickie in the cramped washroom and suddenly he thinks all plane rides will consist of sex. I swatted his arm away. The flight attendant rolled beside us.

"Can I get you two anything?" she asked, her eyes lingering on Eric.

I could either be annoyed every time a woman looked at Eric or I could learn to shrug it off. "Can you get my wife to let me feel her up?" Eric asked shamelessly.

My face turned beet red, and the woman blushed slightly too, fumbling over her words. "Eric," I hissed, looking away out the window.

"Never mind I think I just made it worse," Eric said waving it off.

"Uh, yeah, I think you did too," the woman mumbled, looking around staggered by the large, gorgeous man who acted pretty clueless as to people's comfort levels. He was going to do great in America.

"Oh, I'll have water," Eric remembered.

***

"You are not going to like Sweden weather," Eric said once we stepped out of airport in New Orleans. "You are used to this?" he asked, grabbing his shirt and fanning his chest. He looked as if he had instantly been hit with sheen of sweat all over his body. He looked hot.

I shook the visual of licking Eric's neck out of my head. "I'm a bit frightened about that, actually," I admitted. "I'm used to heat."

"What is your winter temperature?" he asked, wiping his brow. He began kicking our bags as we moved up the line waiting for our rental car to show up.

"Oh about the thirties..." I said slowly.

"What's that?"

I tried to calculate it to Celsius. "Maybe around three degrees," I guessed.

Eric snorted. "You are going to hate winter. I will do my best to warm you, though," he looked delighted at the challenge.

"Why?" I feared. "What's the lowest temperature in the winter for you guys?" Did I even want to know? I grew up in the South, we were fragile in the winter months. I wasn't sure I could handle anything below thirty.

"Coldest I ever had was minus-thirty or so," he answered. My eyes widened as I did the math.

"That's minus-twenty in Fahrenheit!" I balked.

"Uh, sure," Eric said. "Ah it's hot." It was probably in the mid-eighties here right now, but it felt warmer, the humidity must be high.

The car that we rented pulled up in front of us and we were handed the keys and getting our stuff into the vehicle. I had to explain to Eric that perhaps he should watch me drive on the American roads before he gave it a try. It wasn't a very big car and Eric's knees looked really high up to his chest when I settled behind the wheel. I looked over at him and he was breathing raggedly. I turned on the car to get the air conditioning going, the air feeling tight and heavy.

We waited in the traffic to exit the airport in silence. It was so weird to be back home. I was familiar with this; I knew which roads to take like it was the back of my own hand. Eric was the one who was looking around curiously, rolling down the window.

"I have the air conditioning on," I said. He switched it off and we turned onto the highway, a big breeze coming through the open window. I rolled down my side too.

It was a rather cloudy day, threatening rain. Eric looked out to the water as we drove along the I-10.

"There's a lot of water," he commented. "Like Stockholm, except there is no city here."

"I don't think anyone has ever compared Louisiana to Stockholm before."

"No, I suppose not," he muttered. "There's nothing to look at."

"It's sparse, yes," I said.

"I guess you have to live here to like it," he said diplomatically, settling into his seat, his height a discomfort for him.

"Even then..." I laughed slightly. "No, I love Louisiana, its home."

His eyes shifted to me and I glanced at him. He was giving me a sceptical look. "Stockholm will be your home soon."

I hesitated, biting my lip, trying not thinking about how nervous I was about that. "I hope so."

About an hour into the drive, my nerves were wildly out of control. I was sweating even with the wind wafting into the car; I wondered just how much Bill might have told Gran about us. He probably went to see her when he got back home, across the cemetery from our old farmhouse. What would Gran say? How would I tell her the situation I was in? I couldn't lie. It would be too much of a strain on me and our relationship.

How would Jason react? I felt horror wash over me. I couldn't drive anymore. I pulled over to the side of the road and Eric woke up from his nap.

"Hey, can you drive now? Do you get it?" He gave his body a shake and we both got out of the car. He settled into the left-side seat and flexed his fingers onto the steering wheel.

"This is weird," he said, slowly looking at the unfamiliar Louisiana terrain. "Alright, buckle up, baby!" he reached over and patted my tummy lightly, zooming recklessly off onto the road.

I hadn't been in a car with Eric before. I always obeyed the rules and never went over the speed limit, but Eric...

"Uh, slow down," I hissed. "Eric! This isn't the Indy 500," I screeched. "We have police here!"

"We have police in Stockholm," he laughed. "There's more room here to drive fast."

"Yeah, but I have a baby and a human body! I will break at the sheer force of speed we're going at."

Eric slowed down. "You're roads are big," he complimented.

"Thanks," I said sarcastically. I watched him blatantly ignore the lines in the middle of the road and passed a car when it was not his turn. "Eric!"

He laughed. "I feel as if the rules are different here."

"They're probably mostly the same," I said sternly. "You know reckless and life-threatening driving leads to being pulled over!"

"Meh," he shrugged, speeding again to pass another car.

"You're crazy!" I held onto the seat, afraid for my life. I closed my eyes putting a hand on the dashboard to brace myself for a crash. I had to admit Eric had good reflexes. I just wasn't going to watch him amaze me with them.

I heard a car zoom and honk as Eric swerved the car. Finally, I heard sirens.

"You fucking idiot," I whispered.

"Oh," Eric said, pulling over to the side.

"You better have your passport, or your birth certificate. My God, Eric," I said, making sure my purse was there.

"It's in my pocket."

"Put your hands on the wheel," I snapped. My heart was pounding as I thought about bringing my husband home to meet my Gran and mentioning how he got us pulled over.

"I'll pretend I can't speak English," he said.

"No," I hissed and then the cop walked up to the driver's side.

"License and registration," he said routinely. I might have been able to cry my way out of this one if I was driving, but it wouldn't have happened to me. I knew all the car insurance paperwork was in my purse.

"Ah," Eric said, not moving to get it.

"Sir?"

"I not know," he laid it on thick. My husband. I had a headache. At least I was pretty sure my life with Eric would never be boring.

"Excuse me?" the cop said.

"I no English," he hesitated. My husband was also a good actor. His eyes darted around helplessly, while his hand waved in front of him like a 'no' gesture. He let out a breath of exasperation for show.

"Sir," the cop said. He peered in and saw me. "Ma'am can you speak English?"

"Yes, officer," I said, flushing in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. He's my husband and I'm bringing him home to meet the family."

"Can he speak English?"

I hated myself for lying, to a man of the law. "Not very well. He's from Sweden." Eric smiled with a shrug. Oh dear Lord.

"Would you mind if you two stepped out of the vehicle with your information?"

"Eric, get out of the car," I said, eyeing him meaningfully. He wasn't getting sex for a month. Eric winked at me and the cop stepped out of the way so he could get out. I grabbed my purse and set it on the roof of the car. "Eric, honey, where's your passport?" I asked him in a fake sweet voice.

He gave me a confused look. "I no, slow," he said, his brows furrowing, he gave a look of panic as he stared from the cop to me.

"Ma'am, why would you let a man who does not know how to read English drive?" the cop asked.

Oh, mother fucking Eric. My husband looked as if he hadn't expected that question.

"Well," I started. "I didn't know he would react that way, honestly. He just wanted to give it a try. He was overcome with an urge to speed. He's not used to such wide roads," I babbled, widening my eyes, ready to release the waterworks.

"Enough," the cop said, lifting a hand.

"Eric, get your passport," I said. Eric had to keep up the act. I pulled out mine hastily from my purse feeling my hands shake. I waved it in front of him.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, smiling all the same. He dug into his back pocket and showed the cop the proof that he was a foreigner. "Hot," he said, conversationally. The cop did not look amused.

"Alright, you appear to be telling the truth," he said stiffly. He pulled out his ticket pad. I began to cry.

Eric and the cop looked at me alarmed. "This is just awful," I stamped my foot. "I have to tell my Gran that I married an idiot!" I flailed my arm at Eric. "She doesn't even know about him or us. I'm pregnant too and I have to tell her that this man married me because he thinks the child is his – and to be quite honest, officer, I don't even know if it is! I can't explain it to him, because he doesn't know any fucking English! This relationship is hopeless," I sobbed, a river of tears streaming down my face. "I was blinded by his good-looks and big dick!" I heaved shakily; taking a page out of Eric's acting manual.

"Okay?" I heard Eric ask as if he were concerned. What a bastard.

"My Gran's gonna kill me. I'm only twenty-two and this big lug of an idiot is eleven years older than me! She's religious too, you must know. I'm a big, fat, pregnant _whore_," I blubbered. I was crying hard.

I looked at the cop through my tears and saw his head move between the two of us helplessly; a hormonal pregnant woman and a dumb non-English giant.

"Alright, ma'am, how about I send you off with a warning. As long as you drive, does that seem fair?" the cop asked.

"Oh," I sighed, wiping my tears. "Thank you officer. Oh my God, you saved my life. Thanks so much." I rounded the car and let the cop get a close-up look at my puffy red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. I nudged Eric to go to the passenger side.

"Drive safely. Are you sure you don't want to spend a couple minutes gathering yourself?" he asked.

"That would be smart," I mumbled sitting down and closing the door. The cop nodded and headed back to his car. He drove away and gave us a wave. Eric settled in and I turned to him, ready to attack. "I want to kill you," I said in a low voice.

"That was very good acting, my lover."

"Nope, that's not going to cut it. I'm driving from now on, mister," I hissed, wiping my eyes clear and starting the car. "Don't talk to me or I'll leave you on the side of the road."

He didn't utter another word.

A couple of times I heard Eric make an intake of breath as if he were about to say something before he thought better of it. We drove past Baton Rouge while Eric was sleeping. I thought about waking him so he could see, but still felt pissed off enough to let him miss it.

He did wake up when we were travelling over a bridge and green pastures. It was the first bout of fresh looking grass I'd seen yet, everywhere else was browning. He made a noise, forgetting he wasn't supposed to speak for a moment, before closing his mouth. He knew he was in the dog house. Our first fight as a married couple, what a milestone.

The sun had come out about two and a half hours into our travel. We were halfway there and I was dying for some iced tea and a nap. I felt exhausted. We passed through the small-town Bunkie and Eric's face did not look impressed. I think he was realizing just how poor Louisiana was.

We closed the windows and decided to enjoy some artificial cool air for a while.

A lot of the highways looked the same and were hardly distinctly different the longer we drove. Eric was bored, I was bored.

We finally reached Shreveport and drove around it. There was no way I was in any mood to deal with city traffic. It was nearing dinner time and I was done.

We passed the sign, "Welcome to Bon Temps" and Eric and I perked up. I was suddenly hit with a mass of nerves at the thought of what I was about to do. I gasped for breath and Eric put a hand to my neck, gently stroking underneath my pony-tail. I was thankful for him now. I mean, if I thought back at us getting pulled over a few years from now, it'll probably be a hilarious story. It all worked out in the end.

We drove down Hummingbird road before I turned up the drive to the house.

"Oh God, I'm nervous," I felt breathless.

"I will be here, my lover," he murmured. That was the best first words after hours of silence he ever could have said.

We pulled up in front of the old farmhouse and I looked at Eric to gauge his expression. He winked at me and got out of the car. I sighed exiting too.

"Sookie!" I heard my Gran and I saw her rushing out of the house and down the stairs. She jogged over to me and put her hands on my cheeks bringing my forehead to her lips. "Oh Sookie!"

I felt myself start to cry. "Gran I missed you," I told her. She smiled brightly and we hugged. We turned to Eric who stood on the other side of the car, his hands in his pockets and the nicest smile he could muster – which was pretty damn breathtaking. "Gran, this is Eric."

Gran looked up at his height, her blue eyes widening in surprise. "Well hello," she said moving over and holding out her hand.

"Hi," he said simply, meeting her eyes. He was smouldering my grandmother. Gran actually had some colour on her face and she couldn't keep a smile away.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm anxious to hear how you met Sookie," Gran said.

"Oh, it is a very good story with a happy ending," Eric winked and Gran laughed. I was nervous as to what Eric was going to say next. I felt like he'd put his foot in his mouth.

We headed up to the house. Gran had been vigorously cleaning for who knew how many days beforehand. We settled into the living room, with Eric and me on the couch and Gran in the arm chair. His arm went behind the back of my head, touching my shoulder. I let out a shaky breath as Gran offered us a drink. I tried to stand up and get it but Gran insisted I sit.

She was going to be so upset.

She missed my wedding.

I didn't know who the father was.

She came back and we took nice refreshing sips from our iced tea.

"So," Gran started.

"Gran," I interrupted instead. "I have a few things I have to tell you and I just want to spit them out. You're going to be very disappointed in me and I don't want that. I'm so sorry." Based on Gran's reaction, she was worried. I couldn't find my voice, staring at her expectant face.

Jason had to come in and interrupt. "There's my little sister," he said, his eyes bulged out of his sockets as he took in Eric's appearance. I saw Jason's new wife Crystal, much more pregnant than I, follow him into the living room. Jason hugged me when I stood and I introduced them both to Eric. Crystal was eyeing Eric like he was a slab of meat and I remembered how trashy she was. Eric was very formal, very polite and I wondered when his personality would pop out and shock us all to silence.

Great. I hoped I wouldn't have to do this in front of Jason, but since I already started...

"Jason, could you sit down, I'm telling Gran something very important," my voice cracked and I was crying. Jason and Crystal exchanged an exasperated look as they sat on the loveseat. Eric took my hand and played with my fingers, like he always did, like he found them so incredibly interesting. "Gran, Eric and I are married."

Why did I choose that one first? Because it was a lot better than I'm pregnant? Gran made a small gasp. Jason exclaimed, "What?!"

"Yes, it's true," Eric said looking up into my Gran's face and then Jason. "We got married on a mountain top in Greece. I would show you pictures but they are very blurry. They _do_ show that the chapel was very well lit."

"Oh," Gran said, her eyes unfocused as she looked at Jason whose mouth was gaping open.

I could feel my brother's stupidity come to a head. "Who is this guy?" Jason spluttered.

"Oh, I'm her lover."It was all so simple to Eric.

"He's my husband, Jason," I said, giving him an incredulous look.

"No, Sookie," Jason said, looking frustrated. "_Who_ is this guy? Where the fuck are you from?"

"Jason!" Gran gasped. "Enough! You will address our guest with manners."

"I am from Stockholm," Eric said, looking unperturbed by Jason. Eric was like six inches taller than my brother. Also, this was one of the few males he didn't have to feel jealous around.

"Where's that?" Jason mocked. My brother failed geography. He failed high school.

Eric turned to me. "Is this an American joke?" I put a hand on his knee shaking my head for him to stop.

"Jason, Eric is Swedish. I'd appreciate it if you treated him with respect," I said, giving my brother a stern look.

"Jason, we will have none of your rude behaviour this evening," Gran added. "Sookie, I don't know what to say."

"I do. I can say that I love her," Eric said. Gran didn't look too convinced. She had every right, based on the math in her head she must have realized we hadn't been together for more than six weeks. "I am attached to your grand-daughter like, uh, leech."

"A leech?" I heard Crystal snort. Eric and I looked at her.

Eric smiled pleasantly. "Or a baby monkey. You know how their arms are long and clingy. I am long and clingy with Sookie." Everyone was stunned, trying to see if what he had said made any sense. They would be thinking for a long time because I still didn't understand what he meant half the time. But I loved him for it. I really did. His declaration had my heart swell like the Grinch on Christmas morning. Eric was Christmas.

"What planet is he from?" Crystal whispered to Jason. I was tempted to smack her. I wanted to reach across the coffee table and slap that smug look off her stupid slutty face.

"You listen to me Jason, Crystal, you're being very rude and your comments are arbitrary. I love Eric and...I'm moving to Stockholm," I added the second big secret.

"Sookie," Gran breathed. She truly looked at a loss as to what to say. Eric held my hand tight as I tried to cope with hurting my Gran this way. "Sookie...Is there anything else?"

I was breathing erratically, my heart unable to settle. "Yes," I choked, more tears falling down. Eric grabbed my shoulder and turned my face to his. He cupped my chin and wiped away the tears, making me forget about everything for just a moment while my eyes searched his for comfort. "Gran, you know about Bill."

Gran braced herself. Her hands gripped the arms of the chair. "I talked to him last week. He told me that you had something big to say. I'm guessing there's more," she said calmly. I think she knew, or at least she suspected.

"I'm pregnant," I said in a small voice.

Eric's large hand was rubbing my back, trying to calm down my heaving breaths. He lifted my hand and kissed it. He was being so sweet, but I had to focus all my attention on my grandmother who was very still, her eyes wandering between Eric and me.

Thank God Jason and Crystal had kept their mouth shut.

"Also," I breathed deep. "I don't know who the father is."

The silence got so thick that all the air in the room left. Everyone stared in horror at Sookie's predicament.

"Well," Eric spoke up. "I think I know who the father is. It will be me. It is me."

Jason made a sound as if he were choking. "Sookie," he uttered in disbelief. I looked at him feeling shame.

"Sookie," Eric said. He forced me to look at him. "Don't be like that. Be brave. Come now, this is good. Babies are good. Our baby will be good," he said. His eyes travelled from my brother, his wife and my Gran.

"Sookie." It was like an echo in here, everyone whispering my name. "Honey," Gran called my attention.

"I'm sorry," I blubbered at her.

"Honey, your...husband is right. Babies are good," Gran reached out and I held her hand. She squeezed it tightly, trying to be understanding. It was one thing for this situation to happen to Jason, it was another for it to be me.

"You must be so disappointed," I cried, unable to stop big deep gasps. I shook from my own hysteria and Eric held me still.

"Sookie, you're a grown woman. I trust you. This must be very...hard for you," Gran said. She was so strong. I hardly deserved her for a grandmother.

I fell onto my knees in front of her on the hardwood floors and cried into my Gran's comfortable chest. Her hugs were the best. She could make things better.

***

The next day I was leading Eric into Merlotte's. Yesterday had been very emotional and today I planned on taking Eric to see as much of Bon Temps that there was and then to go to the grocery store and pick up food to make dinner for Gran.

I hadn't seen Sam in almost two months now and I realized once we entered into the familiar bar that I had missed him a lot.

Sam looked up from serving a beer and beamed rounding the bar and running over to me. He pulled me into his arms as if he hadn't noticed the six-foot-five glaring Swede next to me. I politely hugged Sam back.

"Sookie!" he exclaimed pulling me back, staring me over. "You look different! I don't know how, but you do."

"Thanks Sam," I blushed. He hadn't removed his hands from my waist. Eric's tendons were protruding from his arm, his fists clenched and I hadn't even looked up at his face yet. "Sam this is Eric. My husband."

Sam froze, balking. He looked up at Eric who had the most unimpressed expression I'd ever seen. I stepped out of Sam's grasp and wove my fingers with Eric's.

"Want to join us for lunch?" I smiled weakly. Telling everyone after Gran seemed like a piece of cake. Should I tell Sam about the baby? Yeah, I owed it to him. He'd been my friend and boss for four years.

Sam nodded numbly. Eric didn't seem pleased with the idea. It was mid afternoon and pretty deserted here.

"Hiya, Sookie. When did you get back?" I looked over and saw JB du Rone approach me. He hugged me too. I let go of Eric to give a proper one. This was like all the men in Bon Temps knew I was no longer single and finally decided to hug me because of that.

"Um, yesterday," I said looking between Sam, Eric and JB. "JB, this is my husband Eric."

"Nice to meet ya," JB said extending his hand. Eric didn't even look at it. I nudged him for being so unmannerly. JB's face fell. "Well, I gotta head back to work. I'll see you soon, Sook?"

"Maybe," I said weakly, waving goodbye. All three of us piled into a booth, Eric and me on one side, Sam on the other. He looked pale.

"This is..." Sam cleared his throat. "Surprising."

I nodded. "It's great though. But there's uh," I looked at Eric's cold stare, directed at Sam. I put my hand on his thigh, rubbing it as soothingly as I could. "I'm moving to Stockholm with him. That's where he's from."

I don't think Sam could be more shocked if I pulled out a banjo and whacked him over the head with it.

"You're moving to Sweden?" he stuttered.

"Yes, she is, with me," Eric spoke up, his tone clipped. He looked more defensive then when he faced Bill. What was going on with him? I squeezed his thigh, but he didn't seem to notice.

"She can speak for herself," Sam cut across. Um, what? I felt my body ringing in alarm. This did not feel like it would end well.

Eric's neck was prominently shadowed and it looked really...biteable, but it was only because he looked like was gearing to head butt Sam or something. "I never heard of you before today," Eric said evenly, his accent thick as he tried to reign in his temper.

"Oh and who are you? Some random guy who doesn't even know her?"

_Why_ was everyone making this about me being unable to make decisions for myself? I was getting irritated and so was Eric. I couldn't believe Sam was thinking so little of me. I opened my mouth to say something before Eric cut me off.

"She is my wife. What is she to you?"

Sam turned red in the face and leaned forward. "She'll only see your good looks for so long."

I gaped. "That's enough!" I said sharply. Eric went to get out of the booth when I shoved my fist into his balls. He froze and settled back down looking slightly pained. I felt bad and began to rub him through his jeans. "Sam do you really think so little of me?" I asked, feeling so offended by my old friend that I didn't know whether it'd be appropriate if I cried. I think I'd done enough of that.

Sam finally seemed to remember I was present. His face looked downward. "I'm sorry, Sookie. I'm just..."

"I love Eric," I said, trying to catch his eye to tell him so, but he avoided it.

Sam cleared his throat. "What about Bill? Didn't you go with him?"

"Bill is out," Eric said. I think he meant 'out of the picture'. I decided to gratefully unzip his zipper, to get better access at his hardening cock. He leaned his elbows against the table, moving in closer on Sam. Intimidation. That's not obvious, Eric. Or he was trying to cover where my arm was.

Holly walked over to our booth. "Hey, Sookie, when did you get back?" she asked beaming at me.

"Yesterday," I said, trying to look cool as ever as I was giving Eric a hand-job underneath the table.

She looked at Eric and raised an eyebrow, but didn't say a word. "Can I get you guys anything? Sam?"

Was it such a good idea to stay?

"Um," I said thoughtfully, grazing my fingernails along his length. Eric shifted, making a thoughtful noise too, although, since I knew what it was for, it was a bit of a moan. "I'll have water, Eric?"

"Please," he said, not even looking at the waitress. In fact he shifted his glare from Sam and was concentrating on the napkin dispenser.

"Sam can we be civil?" I asked, my hand still moving.

Sam looked defeated, he pinched the bridge of his nose briefly. "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry, Sookie. I shouldn't have reacted," he said, staring at me. It was probably too much to have Eric and Sam apologized to one another. I didn't care; I just wanted, at this point, peace. Eric just wanted release.

I squeeze his member hard and his leg kicked out and from what I could tell he got Sam in the shin. "Ow, what the hell was that for?" Sam exploded, leaning forward under the table grabbing his leg.

"Sorry," Eric said gruffly. I pulled my hand away realizing this was a mistake when Eric gripped my wrist and pushed my hand back on his significant bulge. I raised my eyebrows at him. I wondered how long this could last. I didn't actually think he was going to come...

"Sam, I don't want to be mad at you. I missed you," I said, giving him a genuine smile. Sam smiled back too. Eric slammed his hand pointedly on the table. I had just tugged his balls.

"Eric, stop it," I said for our company.

Sam started to look uncomfortable. I was too distracted to feel the tense atmosphere and so was Eric. I stared at my new husband. He had his chin in his hand and was staring out the window, so I just saw the back of his head. His leg kept twitching. I turned my attention to Sam.

"How's the bar been?"

Sam and I talked. Every time Eric would get close, to the point where I thought he was going to just bury his head in his arms, I'd pull my hand away and he'd reach down and grip my arm hard, urging me to continue. I was incredibly amused but also frightened that he'd just shout out in Swedish, scaring everyone while eating their lunch.

"Sookie," Eric interrupted, finally talking after minutes of being tensely quiet. Sam looked irritated, I think he had been pretending that Eric wasn't there. "Could you finish? I'm uncomfortable."

Sam was under the impression he was talking about our ménage-a-trois, but Eric wanted me to make him come. I looked at Sam and then back at Eric.

"I don't care about him," he said, watching my hesitation.

"I'm sorry Sam," I turned to my old boss. "Eric is not used to American customs."

"Fuck, woman," Eric groaned. Sam's eyes widened and I heard Mrs. Fortenberry gasp for she had been eavesdropping. I put my hand back in Eric's lap and tugged at his hard cock forcefully and Eric leaned back closing his eyes as he released in my hand. He was silent, thank God. That was awkward. I wiped my hand on his thigh and Eric smiled in a relaxed state, his whole persona for the length of lunch changing back into his regular light mood. Holly walked by. "Ah, Miss," Eric said, grunting as he sat up straight. "I would like the best burger here."

When we left the bar an hour later, I tried to push Eric back to the car before anyone saw the stain on his jeans. He moaned and rubbed his tummy.

"That was good," he said.

"We have to go grocery shopping and you're wearing those disgusting clothes," I said as we sat in the car. "Eric!" I said as he began to take off his pants. Everleigh Mason peered into the rental to see my husband strip down. He had no underwear on and she screamed waddling back into the bar.

"I don't think she's seen one this big," Eric grinned and reached to the back seat where he had left a bag and pulled out his swim trunks. He pulled them on.

"That's lovely," I muttered. "Thanks."

"Thank _you_," he grinned.

I had compiled a list of things we would need for the dinner we planned on making. Eric and I had never cooked for each other or together and I wondered how that would work. He went off to get the vegetables and I was in the aisle with the pasta. We were domestically blissful and we hadn't even set up a home yet.

"Sookie?" I looked up from the shelf of different noodle options and saw Bill staring at me with a shopping basket in his hand. Oh perfect.

"Hi Bill," I said, my body leaning on the cart for support. "How are you?" I asked. What else was I supposed to say? We still have this baby-drama to settle.

"I'm...how are you?" he looked away. "You're back in Bon Temps, that's good."

"Not really," I said just as I felt Eric round the corner and walk up behind me. He reached over my shoulder and plopped the bags of vegetables in the seat for children.

"Eric's here," Bill said in disbelief.

"Yeah, we're here to see Gran and then we're heading to Stockholm."

"For good..."

"That's the plan," I said softly. To think, seven weeks ago, I loved this man, now I didn't even think about him in that way – I just wanted him out of my life and the baby's.

Bill shifted awkwardly on his feet. Eric was ever the demanding presence behind me. "The baby..."

"It's good. I'll be looking for a nice doctor in Stockholm," I said. "I'll...keep you updated."

There was an awful pause at my words. "Good," Bill said, still unable to meet my eye. "I'd like that."

"Good," I said.

"Good," Eric said stiffly.

"We have to go," I said before this could end up like the Sam confrontation that could only be hindered by the distraction of sex. There was no way I was giving Eric a blow job against a wall of cereal boxes with wacky cartoon characters on them eyeing me.

I turned the cart around and moved out of the aisle not fast enough. "This hasn't been a very pleasant day," I muttered.

"I want us to be steady," Eric said, leaning over me with his hands on either side of me, beside mine on the handle, pushing the cart with me. "A home. No more men. Just you, me and our daughter." I sighed and leaned back into his chest, hoping to God that that came true because it sounded nice.

**Hello there little green button. You're a big boy aren't you? AREN'T YOU!? A GOOCHY-GOOCHY-GOO! AWWW! LOOK IT'S YAWNING! Put a review in that mouth, won't you?**


	2. Coming Home, Baby

**AN: HOLY CRAP BATMAN! 95 REVIEWS WITH THE FIRST CHAPTER!? LYK WHOAAAAAA! Snap, you guys. I love you so fucking much. All of you. This. Right here. You and me. It's true love. **

**This AN is being added later in time but I just wanted to say that this chapter is, how shall I say - the calm before the storm. This will be the fluffiest chapter in a long time. This is not going to be skittles and gummy bears. I'm so sorry to say. This is a bit of a warning. I'm crying over hurting you guys. I'm SO SO SORRY! But, it's the story I must tell.  
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**Thanks to my beta beatlechickstep for her help!!  
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_"That was such a wonderful time, even in its strangeness and sadness-and life isn't the same now. It's wonderful, but it isn't the same."_  
— Gregory Maguire, _Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West_

Chapter 2: Coming Home, Baby

I was about to meet Eric's cousin Pam for the first time. He hadn't told me much about her and when I quizzed him on the plane from Montreal to Stockholm, he really looked clueless as to what he should say. Either he didn't know much about his business partner or he didn't know where to begin. I was frustrated, nervous and excited to meet her. Would she like me? How would she respond to us being married and pregnant?

She was picking us up from the airport.

"She's lazy," Eric said, leaning down to my ear as we made our way to the part of the terminal that had all the family members waiting to greet their kin. "The fact that it's seven in the morning – she does not like it. So if she is mean, I am sorry. If she likes you, she'll be nice later in the day."

I gave Eric a panicked look as we saw the crowd of sleepy families greeting their person. There was a woman stepped away from the crowd with a sign that said something in Swedish. She was dressed to the nines so early in the morning and was wearing sunglasses inside the airport. I had heard that people who wore shades indoors were a bit of a douche, but somehow this blonde woman in four-inch high heels and probably the most expensive dress out there pulled it off. I watched Eric drop the bags and crouch down. I gave him a weird look.

The woman took a step back and made a comment in Swedish before Eric let out a roar and barrelled toward the woman. He wrapped his arms around her lifted her high up in the air. Several people looked over at them, alarmed by Eric before he set her back down with the woman punching him in the arm which was obviously hard enough to have Eric wince, but not enough to wipe that grin on his face.

"Sookie, come here," Eric said, signalling me over. I looked at our bags ready to pick them up. Eric started to drag Pam over instead. "Pam this is my Sookie."

"_Your_ Sookie?" Pam had a British accent! I tried not to ask right away why she did.

"How-de-do," I said shaking her hand.

Pam's eyes widened slightly. She took my hand and we shook. "I like you," she said abruptly. "I like first impressions and that one was...different. Southern manners, Eric – how did you end up with this crazy monkey?" Pam asked looking over at Eric.

He _was_ a crazy monkey. "I met him at your club."

Pam arched an eyebrow and it was so similar to how Eric did so, I saw their relation immediately. "He hadn't told me. He only said he met the most amazing, beautiful, smart, funny, fantastic and best-sex-of-his-life woman. He wouldn't go into any detail, although I did ask how you tasted."

"Ah, Pam," Eric said, putting a hand around my waist as I was shocked to my bones at what she had just said. "She is not used to you, yet. Pretend to be normal, for now, please."

"She's been with you for six weeks. I'm sure her interpretation of normal has changed," Pam said. "Let's get out of this depressing place." How did Eric and Pam stand to be in the same room? Their dominance for attention must be a rivalry at times.

Eric lifted up our bags again and we followed Pam out to the parking lot. There was a mini-van that Pam was walking toward and I thought, 'What is a single woman doing with a car like this?' We piled our stuff in the large trunk and I got in the mid-section seat with Eric. There was a space between the two chairs but Eric brought himself closer to me, by not buckling up.

"If she's as crazy a driver as you, then you should put your seatbelt on," I told him. He ignored me by pulling me in for a kiss. I pushed at his chest. "I mean it Eric, you're not snuggling me this entire ride." He grumbled and Pam laughed out loud.

"You have complete control over Eric? That's a first. Haven't you noticed how out of control he is?" Pam said, glancing at me through the rear-view mirror. I turned to Eric who had my hand in his, playing with my fingers. I wasn't sure he heard Pam.

"I guess I'll be learning a lot about him now," I said.

Pam snorted. "You sure will. He'll be in his element. I don't think he's ever lived with a woman before, so be prepared. He's messy."

"Oh, I know," I said. Pam thought that was hilarious.

"Oh, Pam!" Eric said looking up from our hands. "We're having a baby!"

The car screeched to a stop. We were in a line to exit, but I don't think it _had_ to jolt us forward. It was unnecessary.

"Be good, she is pregnant," Eric said flatly, his eyes sharp on his cousin. Pam twirled around in her seat to face us, looking stunned.

Well if it ain't the pot calling the kettle black... "You were driving like a maniac in Louisiana," I reminded him. Who was he to scold someone on driving safely with me in the car? He winked at me.

"I would never have gotten into an accident. I can drive. Pam is awful at it."

"You're having a baby?!" Pam exploded, as she looked between the two of us.

I felt uncomfortable. "Why didn't you tell her?" I asked softly.

Eric grinned. "I wanted to see her react." I squeezed his hand hard. "We are married also."

I closed my eyes as I felt a whoosh. Eric got punched again. He laughed.

"Why wasn't I invited?"

"It was just me and Sookie."

"And Missie," I found myself saying. "Sorry," I turned my head, not willing to intrude on this family dispute.

"Who is this Missie?" Pam sounded jealous.

"Pam, you can throw us parties if you must."

My heart froze at the thought of a party. There was a pause.

"Really?"

"Yes."

There was some shuffling and the car started again. "It's good I didn't go. It was probably boring."

I opened my eyes and looked at Eric who was only staring at me. You know when you catch someone staring and you hope they look away because it feels weird? Eric didn't care about that. He openly stared and I had to look away for him. I blindly reached for his face turning it away from me.

"So are you two going to find a cute house with more than one bedroom?" Pam asked. I couldn't help but feel like she was mocking us. I blanked at her question though. I didn't have a job.

"Would you like that, my lover?" Eric's warm voice tried to sneak into my troubled worrying.

"I don't have a job," I whispered.

"So?"

"I need money to pay for this house, Eric! I practically used it all for the trip," I began to feel myself panic. When I faked my freak-out in front of the cop, I realized it wasn't that different from how I would respond to a situation that dire in real life.

"Why is she breathing like that?"

"Sookie," Eric said calmly. "Pam, stop." The car was being pulled over and I was gasping for air, hyperventilating, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Sookie, can you breathe?" He put a hand on my back. I tried to calm down but everything seemed to just crash into me all at once.

"Eric, how old is she?"

"Twenty-two."

"And she's a wife and mother? My God, Eric."

"Shh."

Pam was right. "I – I can't d-do this," I cried.

"Don't worry, just breathe," Eric said firmly. He angled me so that our faces were close together, his eyes blazed. "You don't need to be upset. Just breathe and then think." I nodded, trying to calm my beating heart and my twitching limbs. Eric stroked my back soothingly and I started to reign in regularity. Finally I had calmed.

"Are we good to move?" Pam asked.

Eric caught my eye and I nodded slowly. "Yes," he said. If Eric had the opportunity he'd have me on his lap or he'd find a way to get closer, instead he sat in his seat, buckled in, holding my hand tightly. I needed to not think about it. I needed a distraction. "Why are you British?" my voice wobbled.

I saw Pam's blue eyes flash to me in the mirror. "My mother moved there and married my father. My mum and Eric's were sisters. I was born in London but moved back here when Eric's dad died so my mum could help his. I didn't learn Swedish until I was ten."

"Oh," I hiccoughed. "Did you go back to London?"

"Yeah, I went back for university – Oxford, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life so when I came back to Stockholm and Eric talked about opening a club, I decided to help and eventually became the co-owner."

"You two get along well then?" I looked at Eric, he nodded.

"I have to say," Pam began instead. "I like that we can speak English more. Maybe you can help Eric get rid of that hilarious accent. Although the American tourists _love_ it, as you may already know." I stiffened. My mind started to wonder just _how many_ tourists Eric had bedded before me? Was I really so naive to think I was the only one. I looked at Eric, feeling suspicious; he seemed oblivious to what had just happened. That what Pam said had an effect on me.

"Maybe his accent will turn Southern," I mumbled. Eric's nose scrunched up in distaste.

"I'd love you forever, Sookie, if you could make that possible. I'd die laughing," Pam chortled at the thought.

"No, thank you," Eric said, looking put-off by the idea.

"I don't think he liked Louisiana," I informed his cousin. Eric didn't say anything to the contrary. He was the complete opposite of everything the South had to offer. I began to wonder what I would be like in a Nordic country; weather wise it was _my_ complete opposite, as was the language, the culture, the city lifestyle...I breathed in deeply, trying not to have another panic attack. I was thinking about this _now_? No, I was just worrying because I was nervous. I'd have Eric and it would all...fall into place.

"Well, Eric likes his snow," Pam said.

Oh right, that stuff.

Pam dropped us off in front of Eric's apartment building. I remembered walking out here around this time seven weeks ago hand-in-hand after our one-night encounter. Look at us now, pregnant and married. Eric grabbed our stuff out of the trunk and Pam said we'd go out for dinner later. I was glad I had a sweater on. The early September weather was radically different here than back in Bon Temps. It was a cool brisk morning.

We waved goodbye at Pam and Eric let out a long sigh, glancing longingly at his building.

"Missed home?" I asked, my voice small.

"Yes," he said nodding and we entered his building. "We will get you a key soon. I think I have another upstairs." He rummaged in his pockets and produced his.

I realized that I hadn't felt the same sense of relief that Eric was experiencing when I returned to Louisiana. I missed it and I loved being back home, but...Maybe I had already set my mind that Bon Temps wasn't _really_ my home anymore. I wasn't sure how I felt about this new one though.

It was different seeing Eric's stuff in the morning light, coming back from our European adventure. I had brought a considerable amount of things from back home and I had labelled things that Gran and Jason would make sure to ship over to me in the next couple months. This was it. Eric set our things by the door and stretched, looking around his one bedroom apartment. We'd definitely need to find a new place. It had 'man' written all over it. I'm sure it was a great place to bring horny tourists here for a night, but that wasn't going to happen anymore. I shuddered at the thought of the amount of women that had traipsed through this door. Eric had mentioned that if he hadn't wanted to see me he would have kicked me out as soon as the sex was done. But he had me stay, we went out for breakfast the next morning and then he followed me to Copenhagen and then all over Europe. Why was I so different? Was it because I was pregnant? Would he have stuck around once I had to go back to Bon Temps? Sure, he said he wanted me to go back to Stockholm with him, but was that just a line? Would he marry someone so irrationally like he did with me? Had he been married _before_? When we met he said he wasn't married, but what about three years ago? Or five? Or ten?

"I think I need a nap," I whispered to Eric.

"I think I need to empty the fridge," he said smelling something funky.

"You do that," I said, starting awkwardly to Eric's bedroom. This place didn't feel like mine yet...Eric came up behind me wrapping his arms around my waist, nuzzling my neck.

"Let me join you," he whispered, placing an open mouthed kiss on the crook, pushing my shirt down my shoulder. "We have had speedy quiet sex the whole week in Bon Temps." He said the name with a perfect French accent. Did I deserve this man? Well he was crazy so maybe it was even.

"You have a fridge to clean," I said, letting my head drop to the side. I felt very weak and tired at the moment; all the emotions, the jet lag weighing me down. I leaned into his chest.

"You sleepy, my lover?" his voice rumbled in my ear. I shivered despite my exhaustion.

"Mmm," I said and he walked with me in his arms to his room. He had made the bed before he left, how nice. Eric undid my jeans without looking, his body behind me, his hands working expertly and he slid them off. He undid my zip up hoodie so I was just in a long sleeve tee. He pulled back the covers and helped with my shoes and I was crawling into his bed which was just as comfortable as the drunken night I lay here.

"Sleep tight," he said pulling the covers up to my shoulders, kissing my temple. The large window in his room was darkened, blocking out the morning sun. He left the bedroom door open just a crack as I heard him try to be silent in his apartment. I fell asleep almost instantly.

When I woke up, I was curled into Eric's chest. I moaned slightly, his arms around me securely. I looked up at the alarm clock and the time read two in the afternoon. I sighed, trying to roll over in his hold with little strength. I needed a shower. Eric didn't wake when I crawled out of his arms. When I stood on solid ground, I realized I didn't know where his washroom was. I went out into the hall and looked to my right and opened the door. Thankfully there it was. It was hardly as luxurious as the rest of the apartment; it seemed sort of misplaced in the dark bachelor's pad. I hopped in once the water was warm and used some of Eric's shampoo. I dried myself off and went to the door where we had left out bags. I picked up one of mine and brought it into Eric's room, unsure of what to do with it.

I put it on the floor next to his dresser. I pulled on some underwear and a skirt, although I felt like I'd regret it once I stepped outside, and pulled on a plain tee before crawling back into Eric's arms.

"Mmm, you smell like me," Eric murmured, sniffing my hair, pulling me tight against his chest. I laughed slightly.

"I used your soap," I said.

"Mmm," he pulled me as close as he could to his body. We lay there for a while just snuggling sleepily. I thought I would fall back into slumber.

"We're having dinner with Pam."

"It's still early. Let's cuddle all day," he said.

"No sex?"

"Not if you don't want it," he kissed my hair, breathing in the scent. There was a comfortable silence, but I knew Eric was gearing up to say something. "I feel like you are sad."

I swallowed nervously, wondering how to answer. "It's a lot. I don't think it'll be easy," I confessed, turning slightly to see his face. His brows were furrowed and his hand ran up the side of my body, he propped himself on his elbow peering down at me.

He nodded slowly, his eyes drifting down my body then back up to my eyes. "I wish it would be."

"Me too," I whispered. We froze for a moment and slowly my hand reached his neck and he lowered his lips to mine. His mouth was warm as it moved against mine lazily, with no urgent intention to deepen the kiss any further. It was a sweet make-out session with not a lot going on but our lips together, caressing. His tongue finally came out and traced my lips for just a moment. I smiled and he broke away to kiss my nose and then my forehead. He fell back and rest beside me, just to hold me. I put my head on his chest and his hands wandered over my body rather innocently. It was nice.

His hand stopped on my stomach. "When will it kick?"

"Do you know anything about babies?"

"No. I tried not to think about it when I was fucking a girl."

"That's nice," I muttered, feeling my heart sink at his words. He shook his head and kissed my cheek.

"I love you," he said against my skin. I nodded lamely. "I love our daughter."

"Eric," I breathed out. I forced his face to mine. "Remember, this baby could be Bill's. I don't want it to be," I put a hand to my stomach. "And it also may be a boy."

Eric smirked and kissed my lips softly. "The baby is my daughter." I didn't want to argue with him, but I had to remind him of the possibility...

We talked quietly with one another for the rest of the afternoon. I asked Eric about my things and he said we could buy a dresser for my clothes tomorrow morning. I wondered where he would put it but he didn't seem concerned saying we'd look for a bigger place soon.

"What about money?" I wondered.

"You're my wife. Mine is yours. Yours is mine. I am yours, you are mine," he said simply.

"I guess...I don't know. I want to find a job, feel like I'm contributing. I don't want to just sit around for the next few months. I know most people won't hire a pregnant lady, but I'd like to try."

"If that's what you want."

"I don't know what I can do," I continued thoughtfully. "English majors are often made fun of back home as being a useless degree." I shrugged. "It was what I liked and it was what I was good at."

"That is reason to do so," he kissed my temple. "Teach English. That'd be good for you."

"Can I just do that?" I asked frowning. "Isn't there some sort of teaching program I should do?"

"I don't think so," he said. "We'll talk to Pam tonight. She might know something."

"About teaching?" I asked doubtfully.

"Maybe, I never know with Pam," he murmured, burying his face in my hair. "Let's sleep again before we have to go."

"We'll be up all night."

"It's okay. We'll be awake at the same time. It won't be boring." We did nap again and were woken up by Eric's cell phone, telling us which restaurant we were meeting Pam.

I changed into a nice sun dress that was probably inappropriate for the cool day so I shrugged on a cardigan over my shoulders. Eric wore simple jeans and a long sleeve and looked handsome as ever. We exited the apartment hand in hand and I was suddenly struck with the knowledge that we were leaving _our_ apartment as husband and wife.

"We're married," I whispered to him.

He smiled before his eyes widened in excitement. "I never had an excuse to get a car. Babies need cars."

"No they don't," I said. "They need cribs and strollers."

"And cars."

I rolled my eyes amused with where his mind went sometimes. Eric seemed used to walking everywhere so we set off to the Grand Hotel where we were meeting Pam for dinner. I wondered if it came a point when the snow hit where nobody walked. I somehow doubted that stopped Eric. I wondered how I would handle the snow.

I liked the streets of Stockholm. There were nice, symmetrical trees every fifteen feet or so all along the sidewalk. There were a bunch of people out in the twilight, walking around and enjoying the, relatively, warm evening. It was nice to them, freezing for me. I shivered noticeably, wishing I had broken down and worn pants of some sort instead of been vain and chosen a dress.

We walked past the water which looked gorgeous at this time in the evening and I had to remind myself that I lived here now and I didn't have to take all the pictures in the world. I'd get used to it in no time. Regardless, I was living in a beautiful city.

The Grand Hotel was located right on the pier and I glanced at the water reflecting the sun set before we entered.

It was only a ten minute walk to the hotel and I felt a bit underdressed, but so was Eric.

Pam was already waiting for us and was dressed to the nines once again.

"What did you two do this afternoon?" she quirked a brow suggestively.

"Sleep," Eric said.

"Jet lag," I admitted.

"Well, that's no fun," Pam said looking disappointed she wasn't getting dirty details.

"It's always fun with Sookie," Eric replied. I put my hand to his cheek and I saw Pam give a look of astonishment.

"Did you really just say that?" she spluttered. I looked at her alarmed.

"What?" I looked at her then at Eric. He gave Pam a bored look.

"Yes. I mean it," he said kissing the inside of my wrist and then winked. "No more loud complaints. You have adjusting to do," he said to his cousin. I let my hand fall to his shoulder and down his arm. The waiter came over.

"Could you speak English for my wife?" Eric asked right away.

"Yes, I can," the waiter smiled. "Is there anything I can get you to drink?" He spoke better English then Eric. A thought struck me. I eyed my husband wondering how much of it was real. Did he fake his accent? Would he do that?

"Uh, water, please," I said slowly, looking away from Eric and making eye contact with the waiter. It was the polite thing to do. Pam ordered a martini and Eric ordered a glass of wine. No alcohol for the pregnant woman.

"Say 'tack' when you get your food, my lover. It means 'thank you'," he leaned into me. I nodded.

"Cool," I said. Pam gave me an odd look and I wondered how funnily foreign I was. Eric had been so to me for so long it was weird to think that I could be to someone else.

"So, Sookie would like a job," Eric started off when our drinks arrived.

"Oh?" Pam looked only mildly interested. I wasn't sure how to take her yet. Was this just her being herself, or was she really growing to dislike me.

Eric's arm was across the back of my chair. "Yes, she wants to go into teaching English. Can you help at all?" he took a sip of his wine and I saw how easily he fit into this world. Pam fooled with her drink too.

"As a matter of fact, I'm dating a teacher right now," Pam said, smiling at the opportunity. "This French woman, has a tongue like a –"

"Perhaps you should stick to speaking about teaching," Eric interrupted, clearly for my benefit. I saw his smile of intrigue across his face. He was so different back in his element. I remembered him the first time I met him here in Stockholm, and he was _certainly_ different. I frowned, trying to connect Stockholm Eric and European Eric, it was becoming troubling.

"I think I can secure a job for Sookie. It'd be temporary though. She has to pop that thing at some point," Pam said, her nose twitching. I wondered how involved Pam would be in the baby's life...if it were Eric's. "I'll introduce you to Sophie-Anne. How about tomorrow after my fuck-date?"

"Mmm, we are seeing a doctor tomorrow," Eric said. We had looked up ones back in Bon Temps on my friend Tara's internet. We had called all the way from Louisiana and secured a date, not wanting to waste another day.

Pam rolled her eyes impatiently. "Then for dinner?"

I cleared my throat, feeling curious. "What time's your fuck-date?" I asked.

"Could we have fuck-dates?" Eric perked up.

"Oh well, it varies. We try to get in once a day. Tomorrow would have been during her lunch break. We can see you for dinner though."

"Alright," I said, feeling like that seemed fair. "I don't think we have dinner plans...Hey!" I said a smile spreading across my features. "Eric, let's make dinner at your place. We'll clean that fridge and go grocery shopping." We had been rather good together when we cooked for my Gran. Eric knew how to cook which was a welcome surprise.

"How domestic," Pam uttered.

"If that's what you want, my lover," Eric said easily. "I will have to go into work tomorrow night. I've been gone long."

My smile dampened, but I tried to bring it right back up. I was looking for a job and Eric was getting back into his life before me. "Sure," I said.

"The vermin have missed you," Pam said finishing her martini. I had no idea what that meant, I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

**LOOK! IN THE SKY!**

**IT'S A BIRD!**

**IT'S A PLANE!**

**It's the review button, my lovelies.  
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	3. Thank You, Pretty Baby

**AN: Oh my goodness my lovelies. What is this??! Another chapter? Euro!Eric is molding in my mind and he is changing and I am liking - for the reason that he has a whole new side to his personality that we haven't seen. Things are about to get interesting.**

**So, you beautiful reviewers. Any guesses as to what may happen??**

**Thanks for the reviews!  
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_"Experience shows us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking together in the same direction."_  
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, _The Little Prince_

Chapter 3: Thank You, Pretty Baby

"We forgot the potatoes."

"No, we didn't."

"Yes, we did. How could we forget the potatoes?"

Eric frowned. "Huh. The groceries seemed light. I'll go get it," he said, kissing my head and going out the front door. I frowned after him.

We had brought home the groceries and were putting them away, getting ready for our dinner tonight. Eric and I planned on making a huge roast beef dinner for Pam and her girlfriend.

After we had bought me a dresser that we had to assemble soon and after the doctor's appointment, I started to piece a few things in my head. One thing seemed to be becoming abundantly clear: from the moment Eric followed me to Copenhagen he had been lying. I had this horrid realization that I didn't know him at all. I wasn't sure how to approach it or him, but Eric had seduced me with his naivety and like the ignorant tourist I was I had fallen for it.

Eric was really smart. Maybe the thought that he was an idiot before or his crazy shenanigans endeared me toward him. But now watching him carefully move through his old life, he seemed to realize too that things were different now. He couldn't act the way he had – all dramatic and romantic. That wasn't who he was. He was a business man here, I realized. He had ignored it for seven weeks and now he was back, and just from the amount of phone calls he had received today, during our doctor's appointment, which he had ignored, had shown me that the life I had with Eric, secluded and foreign, was not the one I'd be having for much longer.

He was trying to hide it from me. He was trying to figure out how to talk to me about it. Not all of it could be a lie, right? I knew he was struggling since this morning. We woke up, the first day of our new lives and it shifted dramatically to the left. I had no idea what he wanted to say to me exactly, but it was big enough to have me panic. I hated hanging like this. I tried to nudge toward the conversation in many different ways, ways that could spark it, but he had diverted all afternoon.

Was he going to tell me that he exaggerated his personality to charm me? Because I'd already figured that out. Was he –

There was a knock at the door. It was weird answering it since I wasn't completely comfortable here yet. I opened the door cautiously and saw a woman give me a startled look. Oh great.

"Hej," she said, peering into the apartment, I blocked it as much as I could with my body, but she had significant height to me.

"Hi," I said slowly. She was a light skinned black woman with loose curled black hair, pulled up into a cute ponytail. I was instantly suspicious. "Are you looking for Eric?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Yeah. I'm Felicia. Is he here?" I tried not to gape. _She_ was Eric's crazy ex-girlfriend? Fuck. She was beautiful. Fuck. I hoped she'd be ugly. She wasn't Swedish either. She was British. Was she friends with Pam? "Better question, for my curiosity," she said, shaking her head. Did she have a right to be curious with me? "Who are you?"

"I'm Sookie Stackhouse."

"Okay," she said. "Who are you to, Eric? Are you his girlfriend?"

I had no idea how to answer.

"He's been gone for a while. He's for sure back?" she asked. As forceful as her questions were, she looked upset. I felt warmly toward her despite myself. She was hurt by Eric – even though what she did, I quickly reminded myself, was fake a pregnancy. _That_ was awful.

"Yeah he's back. He just went to get some potatoes."

"Oh," she said, leaning against the door frame.

I hesitated, and before I could think about it I asked, "Would you like to come in?" I felt as if I had made such an invitation to a vampire – this must be satanic asking an ex-girlfriend to come into your new husband's house. A girlfriend he had broken up with five weeks ago.

She didn't seem so keen to enter. She glanced down the hall before nodding slowly. We awkwardly stood before we made our way to the couch. Eric had one of those obnoxiously large widescreen televisions. And of course, black leather sofa. I immediately had the sickening visual of Felicia and Eric having sex on the couch – something we hadn't done. I closed my eyes and looked away.

"Are you American?" she asked me. I looked up and her eyes were wide and she looked fairly...approachable.

"Uh, yeah," I answered. My manners were atrocious at the moment.

"Did you meet Eric at his club?" she had an accusatory tone to her voice.

"Yes," I said carefully.

"Last night?"

I bit my lower lip. Why should I feel bad for being interrogated by the ex-girlfriend? "Seven weeks ago." Oh right, that's because technically he was still with her all that time ago. I hung my head in shame, feeling just awful. She was silent and I wondered how she would respond.

I heard a heavy sigh and looked up to see her posture completely sloppy now. Her eyes were closed and she shook her head and met my eye when I had the courage. "You've been with him for seven weeks?" she asked doubtfully. Why was everyone so disbelieving about me and Eric? What the fuck was his reputation here? I was panicking _again_. Stupid, out of control hormones. "Where has that been?"

"Oh. We've been around Europe."

"Oh," she looked away. "Are you two...serious?" she looked as if she was testing the word on her tongue and found it sour. "Eric's not one for that."

I let out a shaky breath. "We're married," I admitted, watching her cautiously.

Shock. "What? You're _married_?" I nodded feeling numb.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Sorry?" she looked so dumbfounded and I felt like the biggest jerk ever. "You don't know me. Why are you sorry?"

"You were still with him," I explained. In hindsight, this was a bad day. Eric was being distant and Felicia was here knocking at my self-esteem after I had my legs in stirrups earlier and felt so _un_sexy. Just a bad day.

Felicia's eyes flickered. "I don't know you. I haven't talked to Eric and quite frankly, that's all I really care about at the moment. I...need closure," she said.

"Right," I nodded. "Of course." This was my way of apologizing to her for being with Eric when they were technically still in a relationship. "He should be home soon." I hoped he didn't take too long.

"So," Felicia and I found ourselves with nothing more to say. "You've moved to Stockholm?" she asked warily.

I nodded. "Just yesterday," I said, smiling weakly.

"From America? Where?"

"Louisiana."

I couldn't tell what she was thinking from her expression, she looked a mix between interested and disinterested. It threw me off balance.

"You from England?"

She gave me a sideways glance. "Yes."

"Did you know Pam before..."

"Yeah we went to school together."

"Right," I said. So Felicia had one up me. She was friends with Pam. I felt worse.

I heard the front door unlock and then open.

"My lover, they didn't have my favourite potatoes," Eric entered the living room, looking quite buff as he carried the huge sack of potatoes, his arms exposed from his tee. He didn't even glance at the sofa he went straight into the kitchen completely unobservant. Was that fake too? Was he avoiding confrontation? No, Eric liked confrontation. At least with me. He did avoid Felicia for a really long time, though.

"Eric," I said. I heard the thud of the potatoes on the counter. He poked his head into the living room and immediately, his disposition changed. His eyes darkened and he walked in fully.

"Felicia, what are you doing?" he asked his voice low and I couldn't hear his accent at all. He looked dangerous. Shit.

"I've been trying to talk to you for weeks," she said, looking completely undisturbed by his hostile demeanour. "You've ignored my calls."

Eric stood, his shoulders squared and I felt like I knew what he was thinking. He wanted me out. Or he somehow, wanted to defend me. I didn't understand it. I remembered he told me she'd gotten a little crazy with other girls over him before, but Felicia didn't seem that way. But what did I know? I was the delusional, pregnant wife who was having a thousand panic attacks a second. I got to my feet.

"I'm just gonna..." this apartment was small. The kitchen could use my attention for dinner prep but then I'd be able to hear the whole thing and that was hardly fair. I ended up wandering into the bedroom, uncertain of what I should do. I closed the door and I heard Eric's muffled voice.

Right away, it was an ex-lover's quarrel. I heard Felicia shout back at everything Eric said and they were submersed in Swedish. My head spun and I lie on the bed trying not to overhear. I felt like a child ignoring their parents squabbling in the other room. Maybe I should put a pillow over my head and sing really loud. I heard a loud bang and I sat up straight. There was no pause in their conversation so I felt as if nothing had been thrown.

Eric wouldn't hit her.

Why did _that_ thought come to mind?

I groaned putting my head in my hands, curling into a ball. It was an exhausting morning. I was going to try and nap. I heard another crash and this time glass shattered. I got up quickly, worried. I walked into the living room to see a bowl smashed into a million pieces at Eric's feet, Felicia's hair wild as she yelled at him.

"Oh my God," I said. My natural instinct was to tell him not to move and go and get the broom. I sidestepped around the glass and Eric reached out and grabbed my upper arm, his attention still on Felicia. I shrunk bad, scared at his temper, his eyes wide with anger and she looking just as stubborn.

"Goodbye Eric," she snapped turning around.

He shot a vicious retort in Swedish and she slammed the door hard. A cool picture frame by the door hit the ground and smashed glass over there too. My eyes widened. That was intense and hadn't lasted more than five minutes.

"I'll get the broom," I whispered. Eric let go of me. "Don't move." I tiptoed into the kitchen and grabbed the broom that was stuffed between the fridge and the wall along with the dustpan. I began sweeping around his feet. I looked up at him indignantly. "You could move now, you're sort of in the way." He stepped to the side. Thankfully he was still wearing shoes. Eric went over to where the picture had crashed and brought into the kitchen. From my position, I watched him stuff it into his trash. "What are you doing?"

Eric didn't look at me when he said, "That was Felicia's."

"She's an artist?" I asked weakly. What was I? A poor, jobless English major.

Eric nodded. "She is insane."

I wasn't so sure. I nodded anyway. Felicia seemed fine to me. She was just hurt and upset and confused about Eric. I dumped the dustpan's contents into the garbage along with the huge picture frame. I put a hand to his arm, which was hard and tense. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry you met her," he took the dustpan from me and went over to the glass by the door. I stood by, feeling helpless while he cleared up and then dumped it too.

"It's okay," I said quietly. I looked at the counter. "I should start dinner." Eric nodded, going into the fridge and getting a beer. I watched him drink it slowly. I hadn't seen him drink at all ever, and here he was, back home, getting into his routine. I mean, the night I met him, he was drunk, but...It was disconcerting. I shook my head, trying not to let that bug me.

I began to prep the vegetables. It was four in the afternoon and Pam and Sophie-Anne would be here at seven. Eric sat and brooded for an hour before he joined me. This wasn't the happy, free guy I'd been with this whole vacation. I was overcome with sadness. If I hadn't a dinner to prepare I might've retreated to his room.

Why had I believe Eric when he said his relationship with Felicia was all her fault? It was one-sided from what I could tell. Eric didn't seem like he was the perfect boyfriend, sleeping with other girls, ignoring her and then having a fight that was so destructive just...It irked me beyond belief.

We worked well in the kitchen together and synched up nicely, even though this was only our second meal we cooked together.

"Where'd you learn to cook?" I asked him.

"Dated a chef," he shrugged. I tried not to feel jealous.

"Oh? What was that like?" I was as nonchalant as I could be.

He tossed some vegetables into the boiling pot. "It was alright." I nodded absently, looking away and smashing the potatoes. There was a significant pause and then I felt him pressed up against me, a hand on my waist. I hated myself for feeling the thrill of him touch me. My hands drooped, strained from the mashing. He took over for me and I got out of his way. I stared at him as he finished the potatoes and then got out the hand-held mixer.

I loved Eric. It was instinctual. I felt it in my heart and my brain – there was no way around it other than that. I had never felt this before. If we had problems, I wanted to work them out. I wasn't going to back away after everything. Even though he was already hesitant about telling me, and now he was even more burdened, it was alright. Maybe I was being young and naive, I'm not sure. I would give him time, like he had me when I kept the pregnancy a secret for a week. I wanted to talk with him and figure out what we planned on doing.

"Maybe tonight we could talk," it was more of a question than a statement.

He looked at me, his eyes not twinkling like I was used to. He was expressionless as he mixed, the sound almost trumping my words. He stopped the mixer and leaned it against the bowl.

"I'm going to the club tonight..." he looked hesitant.

"Oh right," I said.

"I'll be home late," he continued.

"Mmmhmm," I nodded turning from him. How would I handle him going to the club almost every night? His business was of the night-time variety. I needed sleep. He probably would sleep during the day. What about the baby? I left the kitchen, needing a moment to myself. I found myself back in the bedroom, closing the door. I crawled onto the bed and relaxed. I should have been more...aware of the situation I was in. We rushed into it.

"Sookie," Eric said, opening the door. I looked over and I heard voices in the other room. He closed the door and came over to my side of the bed, kneeling down. "Pam and Sophie-Anne are here." He put a hand on my arm, and he caressed the curve of my hip, his eyes alight.

"What?" I looked at the time and saw that it was seven. I sat up abruptly. "I fell asleep?" I hadn't even noticed. "What about the rest of dinner?" I asked panicked.

He cupped my head between his large hands and kissed me softly on the lips. "I'm sorry," he whispered against them, moving his lips, furthering our kiss. "Min Söta, I adore you." He slipped his tongue between my lips and despite it all, my arms were around his neck pulling him closer. I fell back onto the bed, parting my legs and he moved between them, leaning over me, his feet still on the ground. One of his arms was braced beside my head as we deepened our kiss. I was becoming hot and really wished that Pam and Sophie-Anne weren't here. I wanted my husband now. I lifted my legs up and squeezed his hips tight between them. He groaned and pulled away. I kissed his face, eager to move things on, my mind elsewhere, my body just wanting him inside me. "We have guests," he kissed me one last time. "Soon, Sookie," he whispered. He stood up straight. I lay there, vulnerable to his stare, as he gazed over my body, the hunger in his eyes. "You will have to stand. I am hard and you lying there is not helping." He held out a hand and I was on my feet. I looked in the mirror briefly, flattening my bed-head hair.

We went out into the living room and I met Pam's girlfriend. She was about the same height, with golden brown hair that was to her shoulders. Pam smiled and introduced me to Sophie-Anne. They were both incredibly beautiful women. This is exactly what I needed today. More gorgeousness when I was pregnant and expanding.

The house smelled lovely. Eric had finished off dinner all right. We sat down around the small table just off the kitchen, the dinner already on the table. We dug in with pleasantries. Eric said a joke that had Sophie-Anne completely charmed and if she weren't gay, I might have been more irritated then I already was. I needed to settle this jealousy thing. I'm sure the hormones weren't helping.

"So, Sookie," Sophie-Anne began, nursing her glass of red wine. "Pam has told me you need a job."

I blushed slightly. "Yes," I nodded.

Sophie-Anne observed me carefully. "I've talked to the principle this afternoon. He owes me a favour, he's a pervert," she shook her head. Pam laughed. "He's willing to have you as my sort of assistant. I teach English and French and you'd only have to work in the mornings. It won't be too much money but its experience and if it works out they might ask you to stay. I told him about your pregnancy too. It'd only be until December as a sort of trial."

My eyes widened. "Really?" I asked.

She smiled nicely. "You'll be starting on Monday."

I thanked her profusely, hardly believing my luck. Pam and Eric were grinning and I felt an odd sense of companionship with all of them. I was alone for now, but soon, I felt as if it would work out. I'd find friends and integrate properly into this country. It would still be hard, I knew that.

"It's an elementary school," Sophie-Anne added after my speech of thanks. I nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course," I gushed.

"Beyond that, however," Sophie-Anne leaned back. There was a pause and I was curious as to what she was brining up. The air turned tense. "Excuse me for changing the subject, but Felicia called Pam today in tears." What a fucking trouble-maker, was my first thought.

Even Pam looked irritated that Sophie-Anne had brought it up. "It wouldn't be the first time," she said, glaring at her girlfriend.

"She occupied our time. I figure it's only fair this conversation occupy theirs..." Sophie-Anne gestured toward Eric and I. His arm around the back of my chair fisted the wood. I put a hand over-top his.

Eric's head swivelled to Pam and whispered viciously in Swedish. He turned back to Sophie-Anne and said, "I have said to Felicia, that I do not want to see her again." I would be scared of his look if I was Sophie-Anne, but she wasn't. "She came here, talked to my wife and that is bad to me. She was rude and upset Sookie. I will not forgive that. Let her cry." The accent was almost gone, he worded things strangely still, but...I felt hollow.

"Maybe," I spoke up. "Maybe you two should talk at a more, reasonable level." I got crazed looks from Pam and Eric. "You know. No shouting."

"Felicia is done. I haven't spent time on her in months. You are my whole world, Sookie, she is in my way," Eric spoke to me much more mannerly than he did Sophie-Anne. I nodded slowly.

"I don't know, I felt sort of bad for her," I said quietly. Again, with the insane looks. I swallowed nervously glancing between the two of them and then at Sophie-Anne, whose facial expression was devoid of any emotion.

"She's crazy, Sookie," Pam spoke up. "She's my friend, but she's bat-shit." I looked at her wondering if that was a friendly warning. I didn't know Pam all that much.

"Oh well," Sophie-Anne laughed slightly. "What do I know?"

She received three separate glares.

***

After Pam and Sophie-Anne left, I found myself sitting on the bed watching Eric get ready for work. He kept the same jeans on but put on a red shirt.

"Hey," I said slowly. He looked at me. "You wore that shirt the night we met." I smiled at him. He looked at himself back in the mirror and then a grin broke across. I let out a yelp when he jumped on top of me, pinning me on the bed. "Mmm," I heard him fumble with his zipper and his button. "Won't you be late?" I mumbled, not really caring either way.

"It's okay," he growled in my ear. He had his pants half down in no time and my dress was pushed up, my panties on the ground and he was inside me. I had my hands under his shirt, feeling his back muscles.

I didn't last long. I kept thinking about us and what may happen and it got me worked up. In about a dozen strokes I released and Eric followed soon after. He didn't have time to snuggle. He kissed me goodbye.

"I'll see you later. I like that you will be warming the bed," he smirked kissing my head.

"What time?" I was asking before I could hold onto a smidgeon of dignity.

He looked thoughtful as he did his belt. "Maximum, minimum three," he said doing his lifty-shoulder thing.

I closed my eyes. This was almost as bad as his 'approximately'. "Maximum three in the morning," I said flatly. "But also minimum. Will you be home at three?"

"Maybe."

"Please don't answer me like that," I complained.

"How do you want me to answer? The bar closes at two-thirty. We have to clean and count money. It changes. I should be there tonight after being gone for so long," he said. "It'll be later."

"Eric," I sighed. He kissed my lips again.

"I have to go, but don't worry, my lover. We will talk soon, okay?" He kissed me one last time. I nodded weakly. The point was moot at the moment. I watched him leave and I flopped onto the bed, my head worrying and my heart feeling heavy. I missed him already. It was weird being here by myself.

It was ten and I decided there was no time like the present then to sleep. I pulled my dress over my head and tossed it to the ground before snuggling up under the covers, hugging a pillow close to me. I thought about Eric until I fell asleep.

I woke up at three on the dot as if an internal alarm clock had been set. Eric wasn't home. I sat up feeling disgruntled. I wouldn't be able to sleep until he got home. I pulled out a book and turned on the lamp but was unable to concentrate on the words. I tossed it to the sides. Three-eleven. I crawled out of bed and padded into the bathroom. He had his tub which was nothing like the ones in the hotels we'd been too. I decided to take a bath. He had a dimmer in there so I dimmed the lights low.

I waited for the tub to fill, feeling a chill. I slipped into the searing hot temperature and sat there, trying to relax. I yawned, the warm water making me sleepy. I began to drift off in the tub when I heard the front door open. I had no idea what time it was but the water was still hot. I heard him kick off his shoes and go into the bedroom. When he noticed I wasn't there he knocked on the bathroom door.

"Come in," I said. He looked exhausted. He hadn't been at work in a while and he seemed to forget what it was like. Working at a club didn't mean automatic fun times.

"Oh, this is the best thing to come home to," he moaned. He pulled off his red shirt and undid his jeans. His nakedness had me gasp and he made his way. "Hmm, our new house will have a bigger bath." He slipped in, the water splashing over the sides and onto the floor. I felt our skin touch and I shivered. His legs were on either side of my body as he settled opposite me. "I am tired." He rested his head on the tiled wall and put his arms on the side, no way for his shoulders to be submerged like mine were – now, with his presence the water had lowered and I was feeling cold. I sat up and drifted closer between his legs. He looked at me with sleepy eyes. "Oh fuck me," he said. My heart thudded.

"I missed you."

He groaned low, his body vibrating, his legs trapped me, tightening me between. "I fucked you in my mind all night," he responded.

"I love your answers," I said moving up to his chest and resting against it, my head over his heart. He wrapped his arms around me and I felt his length hard against my stomach. "How was work?"

"I miss being with you in Athens or Venice, mmm, fuck you all day and night. That's all I want," he bucked against me and I reached for him between our bodies. I seized his cock and he hissed. "Thinking about it all night and finally having you touch me is..." I tugged at it and he groaned loudly. "Sookie," he murmured. We arranged ourselves in the slippery tub and in no time I was straddling him and he was sitting up. I shivered above the water but he held me tight against his warm chest. We moved with one another. I moaned in his ear and he brought me to his face so we could kiss. His hand trailed down to my ass, urging me onward. I slammed down onto his length and he shouted a mantra of Swedish.

"Eric," I gasped. His size filled me, stroking, hitting the right spot as our hips met each time. Our bodies were slippery but we managed successfully and I was crying out from my orgasm, as he shook under me holding me tight. I finally felt the drowsy affect of sleep. We slowly got out and wrapped ourselves in towels. Eric helped dry me off as I did him and we crawled into bed, my hair still damp. My bottom was nestled tightly against his flaccid member and he groaned one last time in my ear. "I love you," I whispered. He kissed my shoulder lazily before we fell asleep, together.

**UM. For the new picture of Sookie and Eric on TB. Let's review! Holy freaking crap I'm still shaking and crying over it. REVIEW it eases the hysteria. **


	4. You Bug Me, Baby

**AN: I seriously have the bestest readers in the world! I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY VERY MUCH! I THINK WE SHOULD GET MARRIED AND HAVE READING AND WRITING KIDS! Whatddya say?**

**It sounds pretty damn wonderful to me.  
**

_"'I told him I was going to betray you, and betray Lyra, and he believed me because I was corrupt and full of wickedness; he looked so deep I felt sure he'd see the truth. But I lied too well. I was lying with every nerve and fiber and everything I'd ever done...I wanted him to find no good in me, and he didn't. There is none.'"_  
— Philip Pullman, _The Amber Spyglass_

Chapter 4: You Bug Me, Baby

I couldn't hold back any longer. Eric still wasn't talking to me about it and had avoided our conversation for two days now. I sat up waiting for him to come home. It was four in the morning when he walked into the bedroom. He looked at me questioningly and was probably expecting sex now. When he saw my serious expression he stopped, his shoulders dropping.

"I'm going to say something," I said right away, my legs crossed sitting on the edge of the bed. He nodded slowly pulling off his blazer that was over top a tight white shirt. Yeah, he had to look sexy all the time. He sat down on a chair he had by his dresser and began untying his shoes. He waited. "You faked your accent with me."

He paused for a moment and looked up at me, his eyes meeting mine, unwavering. "Yes," he said. He didn't speak enough for me to hear a distinction. He still kept up the act over the past couple days but it was fruitless at this point.

It was a lot different hearing him admit it. I had a small bit of hope that I was just imagining it. "Why? Eric," I closed my eyes and inhaled sharply. "Why would you do that?" I heard his shoe drop and then I felt him kneeling in front of me, his hands on my knees.

"Look at me," he said. I didn't want to be childish. I opened my eyes slowly and saw his blue eyes, wide and determined. He lifted a hand and touched my cheek. "Sookie, I did wrong."

"Yeah you did," I said weakly, not feeling the amount of gusto I was probably supposed to have against him.

"I often do the accent. It's mostly exaggerated," he spoke softly. I tried to hear for it then, but his voice was so low that it was nearly gone. I blinked trying to stop the tears, but couldn't. He brushed them away. "This doesn't change anything."

"Oh really?" I choked out. "Why?"

His expression was grim. "I'm sorry. I thought you were like every other tourist girl at first. You weren't. That first night, here," he nodded to the bed. "I was drunk and I still felt like the world had stopped when I was with you. I'd never had that before. I was drawn to you and could not let that go. You were leaving Sweden and I was terrified of being here without you, I don't know. It was an awful hour when I was coming to terms with my sudden attachment. I was on that plane to Copenhagen trying to find any hostel you might have gone to. I saw you liked the accent and I thought it would...help things. With you and me. I thought that it would be easier for you to...accept me into your travels," he said.

"That's..." I shook my head trying to think clearly. It was true, I did like the accent. But I prefer truth then some stupid tone of voice. He was scared. He was frightened about how this would turn out, which was why he kept it from me, why he was so reluctant to say anything. Is that a justifiable excuse?

"Sookie, you make me happy. I was stuck here before you. It was boring and predictable and the same thing happened each and every night and you were...not them."

"How? How was I not 'them'?" I hissed doubtfully. He looked pained.

"You were real. I said this to you in Copenhagen: you seemed good and I wanted to know more. There is something about you and me and...it fits. I don't know how else to say," I heard his accent then and I wondered if he had added it to weaken me.

"That's a huge load of trust you just knocked off us," I said. He nodded slowly. His eyes were dim and still like a lake at night, deep and dark. "So you did the accent to seduce women?"

"Mmm, yes," he said, watching my reactions. His eyes were boring into me and I felt overwhelmed and claustrophobic.

"Please, let go of me," I whispered. He took his hands off my legs right away and leaned back on his feet. I crawled up toward the head board, searching for space. "Well, you got what you wanted. Me. With your accent."

"Do you think I follow every tourist around Europe?" he asked. He stood up and his height was intimidating and I wished I could just sleep with him. Instead we were in this shitty situation and I had no idea who to blame. Him – for deceiving me, for our relationship beginning as a lie? Or me – who had kept the pregnancy from him and actually _did_ like his accent?

"No," I said truthfully. "Not every one."

His eyes tightened, his jaw twitched and I was sure I upset him. "No, none. Only you. Sookie, I love you. I think about you every second. I hate work because you're not there. I used to love it. Now I just want it to be you and me, no one else."

I breathed in shakily looking away. "We can't live like that."

"I want to."

"There will be a baby, and even then..." I trailed off, looking at my hands, my knees drawn close to my chest. He moved over to me.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his legs on the floor. He reached out and urged me to look at him. "You think I will leave you."

I never exactly thought those words exclusively, but it had crossed my mind. He may be dead-set on the possibility that the baby was his, but I wasn't. I had no idea. His confidence didn't help; it made me feel more guilty and more alone.

"Sookie," Eric shook his head. "I know I just said that I want it to be only you and me. But, I want the baby too. I do. It's more than us now. There is still Bill and there is still a lot of, uh, adjusting," he said. Did he fumble over that word to manipulate me or was he truly searching for the right one? Was I going to question him from now on?

I straightened up and found his hand, squeezing it tight. I looked him straight in the eyes. "I don't want any more of you _exaggerating_ your accent. Give it to me straight, Eric. Don't sugar-coat it for me. I'm a big girl, and nothing you do or say is going to top me being pregnant with two fathers."

He didn't like me saying that last bit, but he nodded anyway. "I was wrong."

I bit my lower lip and touched his face briefly. I didn't know what to do or to say. Should I be more angry with him? "It was a weird beginning, you and me."

"The ending will be better," he kissed my wrist.

"There's an ending?" I asked softly. He smiled shaking his head and crawling beside me. I hesitated for a second before I snuggled against his chest, my heart hammering out of nerves or guilt, I wasn't sure which. I sighed and put my hand on his shirt.

He began to stroke my hair trying to ease my heart, I'm sure he could feel it thudding against him. "People are different when they are away from home, Sookie."

I held back more tears. "I wasn't," I said.

Eric didn't answer right away. "I don't know about that, yet. We will find out. I just want you to know that this is going to work out. I will do everything for you and the baby and us." At least he still spoke in threes even without the prominent accent. I smiled slightly at the thought.

I didn't fall asleep for a long time and Eric was awake right beside me.

***

I'd been working at the elementary school for two weeks now. Sophie-Anne was just as crass and unlikeable as the first night I met her. But I had to work with her everyday and she was, essentially, my boss. I couldn't say a thing. I pretended to be her friend and laugh at her jokes. Sometimes you had to do what you had to do for your job. The principal called me out of the class one Friday morning. I left the nine year-olds who were so funny with their _real_ accents.

I had met the principal on the first day and he seemed like a good guy. I smiled at him nervously wondering if he was going to fire me.

"How is it going for you, Sookie?" he asked whispering to me in the empty hall.

"Oh, it's great, Mr. Jakobson," I said smiling brightly, trying to reassure myself that my brief position was fine.

"That is good, good to hear," he nodded, his accent was thick. "Everything is fine with you. If it works out perhaps we will talk more about jobs when the baby is born?"

I felt my whole face lighten. "Really?" I asked. "I really do like it here. It's a lovely school and the kids are great."

"Your English is good."

"Well," I stuttered, thrown by the statement. "I _did_ grow up in America." I laughed nervously and he joined me at a more obnoxious level.

He nodded vaguely hardly listening to me, his eyes travelling down to my chest. It wasn't that low-cut, but you could see a little bit of my cleavage. I wasn't going to dress inappropriately at an elementary school!

"Maybe we should go out to dinner," he said. I kid you not, he licked his lips at me. I was a magnet for perverts and assholes.

"Oh. I'm married," I said, thankful for more than just having the luxury of using that excuse.

"You don't have a ring," he pointed out.

I felt very flustered, my cheeks pink. "I'm pregnant?" I tried.

He shrugged indifferently. Well, Sophie-Anne wasn't joking when she said the principal was a pervert. He taught children for goodness sake!

"I should get back to class," I said pointing over my shoulder as a reminder. He nodded, a depraved smirk on his face.

"We can talk later."

"Sure," I said. "No," I said firmly. It was my boss. Ew. "I mean. Thanks for the offer, but I will be with my husband from now on." I had no idea what I was talking about and I slipped into the classroom, alarmed.

Sophie-Anne gave me an inquiring look but I shrugged it off until she cornered me at lunch, when I was ready to head home. "How about you and I go and grab some lunch?" We hadn't done that before and I found myself nodding. I only had laundry to go home to, after all.

We went to a restaurant not too far from the school. We got a seat almost right away and were about to begin ordering when Sophie-Anne asked the waiter to come back in a few minutes. I was disappointed. I was freaking hungry and she pushed me further away from the food. I realized she wanted to talk about something serious but I was not in the mood for that, I had enough serious in my life, I didn't need hers too.

"Sookie, I'm going to get right to the point," Sophie-Anne started, her hands out in a defensive mode.

"Great," I said, feeling more than a little irritated.

"When was the last time you saw Pam?"

I thought about how she had dinner with Eric and me last night before they went off to work. "At dinner, last night," I said frowning, wondering where this was going.

She sighed, looking deeply saddened by this. "She told me the truth," she muttered more to herself.

"Okay...Sophie-Anne what's this about?" I asked her, trying to move the conversation along. At this point, I didn't even want to eat anymore. I just wanted to head on home.

My boss straightened up and put on her big girl panties it seemed. "I think Pam is cheating on me."

My mouth hung open a little as my mind reeled back to anything that may have hinted to me that this was in fact true. "I –," was all I could say. Sophie nodded triumphantly at my look of disdain. "I don't know anything about that," I finished lamely.

Sophie-Anne lunged for my hand and held it tight. I backed into my chair, unsure of what to do with this. "Sookie, you have to tell me if you find anything out. I can't live like this anymore, I'm paranoid, I'm insecure – I'm never those things. I just love Pam so much, hell, I got you this job because she wanted me to! Don't get me wrong, you're sweet and all and so far it's worked out, but...I _need_ Pam all for myself. She's distant, she's going out at all hours –"

My heart was pounding at her words, relating to them. "She works at a club..."

"No!" Sophie-Anne's eyes blazed. "You think I don't know about all those sluts that shimmy their way up to the _owner_ of the club." I yanked my hand from hers.

"I'm not feeling too good," I said, standing up. "I'm sorry, Sophie-Anne. I hope it works out."

Sophie-Anne looked on the verge of tears and I was in no state of mind to help her with that. "Could you talk to her? Could you ask her what's wrong? How she feels about me, about us?" The hysterics were coming now.

I couldn't breathe, I was looking anxiously at the exit hoping to God I could get out of here without anymore doubts shoved down my throat. "I will. I should go, Eric's waiting, probably." I excused, hurrying out the door faster than I entered.

I was on the streets, rushing my feet home fast. It was about a half hour walk, but I'd become used to doing this and I found it was nice. The city was beautiful and lively and I could hardly believe I was actually living here.

Sophie-Anne's words troubled me all the way home. It was almost crippling. If she was feeling doubts about Pam – what was so different with Eric? I was in a new city, with no real friends with a husband who I thought I knew, and now I wasn't so sure.

The only thing I did know was that he loved me. That was something I couldn't deny. Nor my love for _him_. I mean, even this baby wasn't something I was sure of – who was the father?

I realized I was having more bad days here then good ones.

I made my way into Eric's building and up the elevator, ready to make some lunch. It was always just after noon when I got home after a morning of work. It was usually the time Eric woke up. He had made coffee and was watching the television. He jumped to his feet when he heard my keys jingling and opened the door for me, his grin the only thing that reminded me of our relationship before Stockholm. I smiled slightly.

"What's wrong?" he asked right away. I had no idea what to make of my relationship with Eric. As much as we were figuring the other out, oddly, we knew exactly what the other was feeling almost always. We may be clueless to certain things about our new aspect of our relationship, but we knew the base of each other enough to know when things were wrong. It just made all of this more confusing.

"Well," I said, pushing past him and dropping my purse on the couch, taking off my jacket. He took it from me and hung it up on the hook by the door. I took my shoes off and pushed them to where his were too. "When we have dinner with Pam tonight I have to ask her if she's cheating on Sophie-Anne."

Eric rolled his eyes, instantly and plopped on the couch, bringing me down with him. He put his arm around me and I put my head on his chest, feeling much better. Although the stupid whispers from Sophie-Anne were still present. Fuck her.

Eric sighed, and rubbed my side, soothingly. I loved him with all my heart. I hated watching him leave me for work and leaving him in bed every morning. I just wanted to be near him all the time and he wanted the same. It was all so...weird. I didn't think I could handle all these emotions rationally while pregnant.

"She probably is," he said. I broke out of his hold.

"What?" I gasped, staring at him in disbelief. "She's cheating on her, _why_?"

"Sookie," Eric said, putting a hand on my leg. I pushed it away.

"What?" I asked flatly. "Why would she do that?"

Eric looked at me. "What did Sophie-Anne say to you?"

"Don't you try and turn the subject," I snapped, getting to my feet and heading to the kitchen.

"Don't just walk away, Sookie," Eric said, he was at the doorway staring at me assemble eggs for an omelette. "I am guessing, she has said things that make you doubt me," Eric said slowly, his accent prominent at the end. See, I had no idea what to do with this accent issue! I definitely see what he meant when he said he exaggerated it, but I could still hear it! Maybe because I was always looking for it?

"You know what? I don't know anything about what she said, she was irrationally hysterical and a paranoid freak and then I realized – hey! I'm the paranoid freak as well!" I cracked the egg too hard and I had a lot of shells in my bowl. "Shit," I mumbled. Eric was still as he watched me scoop out the shells.

"I love you. Pam does not love Sophie-Anne."

"Yeah," I mumbled.

Eric sighed again, and I glanced at him as he rubbed his hand on his forehead, his eyes shut. "I think only time will help," he said.

"What does that mean?" I snapped.

"I think that after a while you will see that I mean it and then it will be better. I don't know how to prove to you that I don't care or think about anyone else but you and the baby. I mean it, Sookie, you are the centre. You are like my Sun and I am the Earth. I just...gravitate around you."

I halted my cooking and stared at him. "They never touch."

"Okay," he smiled slightly. "I will think of something else," he tapped his chin. He still phrased things weirdly sometimes. I lightened up at that. Was this accent just blown out of proportion in my head? Was it not that big a deal like he told me? Did he just emphasize on it a lot more with tourists than he normally would have? He was still my European boyfriend and now husband. He was still Eric. "You," he moved closer, sensing I had calmed down. His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me to his body. "Are like a banana...on a tree..." I was already shaking my head and laughing, leaning into him. "And I am the monkey."

"Why are you always the monkey? And you'll only eat me," I said.

"But you will be inside me."

"Until you poop me out." He began laughing along with me.

"Okay, I'll think of another one..." I abandoned the omelette and he lifted me on the counter. How he could do that, I had no idea. I was so fat now. I was wearing a lot of dresses because they were hiding my curving body. It was gross. I would have to get new clothes and new bras soon. The one's I had were tight and no longer able to handle my size. Eric pulled the dress over my head. "Oh, you're breasts are bigger," he looked absolutely delighted as he massaged them in his palm. "Your bra can barely contain them," he reached behind me and unsnapped the bra. I felt relief at it being off and I groaned at that more so than Eric's attentions. He kneaded them in his hands. "Mmm," he took one in his mouth. They were very sensitive right now. I pushed his head away.

"Can you give me a massage?"

"Where?"

"My back."

"Now?"

"Yes, it would be wonderful," I sighed. It felt so stiff and tense right now.

"You're naked in front of me and you want me to worry about your back? I'm hard as hell."

"Be nice," I slapped his face lightly.

He helped me down and we went over to the couch. I was naked and he was clothed. I lie down and he leaned over me rubbing my back. I moaned at his massage.

"Now, I will get a hard cock every time I watch TV because I will think about this," he complained. "And you sound like we are having sex and we are not."

"Shut up, for a little while longer," I mumbled. I think I fell asleep. I woke up a little while later to the smell of that omelette being made. I looked at the clock on the satellite box and it read after one. I had a good hour nap. I slowly got up and realized Eric covered me with a blanket. I pulled it around me and padded into the kitchen where he was finishing up my meal. "I love you," I said. The morning sickness had stopped for a few days now, but my doctor said it could come back at any time. Eric just smiled at me and served me my lunch.

"Besides Sophie-Anne," he sat with me at the table. "How was the morning?"

I ate my meal thoughtfully. "I think the principal hit on me."

"Oh?" He was possessive already, what a loser.

"Yeah. It could just be all in my head though," I said waving the fork. "I reminded him that I was married and he said something about a ring," I tried to recall.

"You want a ring?" Eric perked up. I looked at his bare hand and eyed it.

"Only if you get one," I said. He grinned, jumping to his feet.

"See our jealousies are going to kill us," Eric dashed out of the room. When he came back he had a napkin or something folded in his fist and he put it carefully on the table.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Open it," he beamed. I pushed aside the silky handkerchief and gasped. There lay two platinum wedding rings. "I wondered when you would bring it up."

"Actually the principle did," I mumbled. Mine had diamonds all around it and his was plain and much wider. Eric picked it up and slid it onto my finger. It was beautiful and I was not even going to try and hold back tears. "Oh God," I blubbered.

"I take it tears mean happiness in this instance," he said, smiling.

I nodded. "Thank you." I picked up his and put it on his finger. He kissed mine. "It's too much."

"Nope. Do you want an engagement ring too? I can get that," he said. I shook my head.

"No, this is fine, thank you," I said. "It's perfect." My head was nodding like a bobble-head at the moment. My brain felt foggy and dazed. I brought him in for a kiss and once again Eric distracted me from my food.

He got me on the kitchen counter like he wanted.

***

We arrived at the restaurant that night to meet with Pam. The hostess led us to our table and I saw the back of Pam's head, but she wasn't alone. I gave Eric a curious look and he shrugged. It was a man with her and he had no hair. We rounded the table and Pam and her companion stood. I knew this man.

He gave me an odd look and I returned it. "Eric, Sookie, this is John Quinn," she said, smiling brightly. Eric reached out and shook his hand and I did the same.

"Uh, it's you, right?" John Quinn asked hesitantly. Eric and Pam gave us confused looks. "Athens?" he clarified.

"Uh, yeah," I said slowly.

He looked at Eric. "Is this your possessive Swede?" he remembered. Oh fuck. Um. I looked between Eric and John, confused as to what to say. Eric did not look pleased.

"I met...John," I tried. "In Athens. Before our wedding, I went down for lunch and we met at the bar."

"She told me off," John said grinning. "I was trying to hit on her. No hard feelings, man," he laughed smacking Eric on the shoulder as if it was all good. Pam had her mouth open slightly, her eyes wide with excitement as she watched her cousin respond to her date in an unfavourable reaction.

"Look at this," Pam beamed. "Two Americans in Sweden. Isn't this wonderful, Eric?" I sat down in my seat prepared for an awkward night. Eric slowly lowered himself too, his arm around the back of my chair. I shimmied the chair closer to him. He was stiff, his back straight and the tendons in his neck were prominent, he was in possessive mode.

"You upset my wife that day," Eric said, glaring.

"Oh, stop it," I said. "It's fine, it was weeks ago. I don't care anymore." I smiled reassuringly at John.

"You weren't kidding about the protectiveness," he chortled. Was this guy looking for trouble?

"This is fun," Pam said, looking like she was about to wet her pants. "I've never seen Eric like this. It's absolutely delicious. I should bring attractive men to hit on you all the time Sookie. As long as I'm there to watch," she added, pointedly at me. "Don't flirt with any guys unless I'm there to watch Eric's expression."

"So, how did you two meet?" I asked instead, looking between Pam and John, wondering what the connection was.

"We've been fucking," Pam said nonchalantly. My mouth hung open and John threw his head back and laughed.

"This woman is an animal," he complimented and Pam smiled proudly. Sophie-Anne was right. I leaned back into the chair and the waiter took our order. I felt awful at the moment. "Met her at the club," John continued. My head was whirling and I excused myself to the washroom.

Eric warned me that Pam was probably cheating. What could I do? I sort of had an obligation to Pam to keep it quiet. Was Pam even _trying_ hiding it? How would Sophie-Anne respond? Would she fire me? I felt like she was the kind of woman who would do everything she could to get back at the cheating ex-girlfriend and firing me after being a favour to that cheating ex-girlfriend seemed like one step toward revenge. I couldn't be fired. Not now.

When I returned, Eric was still glowering at John, but he looked up at me, worried, asking a thousand questions with his eyes. John said he had to go the bathroom too and left.

"He's hot isn't he? He has a huge cock."

"Pam, you're cheating on Sophie-Anne," I said right away. Eric put a hand on my back.

Pam looked startled by my outburst. I probably had spoken a little too loud. "Yeah. So?"

"She asked me if you were!" I said.

"Oh, Sookie, ignore her," Pam said, sipping her cocktail. "She's all dramatics."

"What if she fires me?" I asked. Pam didn't say anything. "Is that a possibility?" I felt panicked, even more.

"Pam," Eric said sharply.

"Oh my God," Pam gasped. "I'll keep it quiet until December." There goes a job after the baby. Maybe I could get a good recommendation from the principle. "I promise."

"Please," Eric said. "I don't want this to hurt Sookie because you could fuck everything that catches your eye."

"Aren't you gay?" I blurted.

Pam quirked an eyebrow. "I hate that that word. To me, you can be attracted to anyone, man, woman, it doesn't matter. In fact, I believe everyone is just a little bit gay."

"Oh, right," I scowled at her. "Please, don't do this to me. Sophie-Anne was hysterical with me this morning."

Pam rolled her eyes. "She is so annoying."

**So, I'm a bit mad. What happened to my green button? WELL, NOW the button is BLUE like ERIC'S EYES! SO CLICK IT AND REVIEW IF YOU LIKE ERIC'S PRETTY PRETTY PENETRATING ORBS!**


	5. Wonder Where My Baby is Tonight?

**AN: I'm sort of seeing this as Over the Hills and Far Away was Amnesia!Eric and this fic is now Eric with his memories back. That's what I'm comparing it to. So this is a new Eric, but with the occasional hint at his former self. This is the Eric who has a life outside of Sookie and travelling. He is new at this and so in love that he is not sure how to handle a lot of what is going on. Sookie's feeling are pretty obvious. There is no good or bad guy in this story. Eric may seem different and harsh at times but his love for Sookie and the baby is real. Phew, I just wanted to say that. You guys have been really patient and understanding. I just wanted to warn you, now, that the next few chapters will be angsty. This chapter brings it to a whole new level.**

**Your reviews are so awesome and I was laughing really hard through a lot of them last night. One person mentioned that Eric wasn't being very nice with making Sookie where clothes that didn't fit her (still laughing about that) so I wrote the scene in the bra store, below. It's a situation I stole from my cousin and how she found herself sobbing in Victoria's Secret with the new information on her bra size. I hope you enjoy my lovelies.  
**

_"Weren't we all crazy in our sleep? What was sleep, after all, but the process by which we dumped our insanity into a dark subconscious pit and came out on the other side ready to eat cereal instead of our neighbor's children?"_  
— Jeff Lindsay, _Darkly Dreaming Dexter_

Chapter 5: Wonder Where My Baby is Tonight?

I was becoming one of those women who waited all night for their husbands. I hated that. I hated waiting. I hated having horrible images of him with other women. I pretended to sleep with my back facing the door, glaring at the time on the clock. Five-am. That was later than usual. Maybe he got hurt? My heart lurched at the thought. I checked my cell phone again to see if I had somehow missed his call, even though I was staring at it the entire time. I finally heard his keys at the door. My body didn't calm down even when he entered our bedroom, the light spilling across the bed. I saw his shadow against the curtained window. I glared at it, even though he couldn't see. I didn't let him know that I was wide awake. I heard him strip off his clothes and he crawled in behind me, naked. I was in a nice nightie, unable to sleep in the nude like him. He pulled me to his chest, groaning. He smelled like bar. I moved in his arms.

"You awake?" he asked gruffly. I turned around and tried to see his face in the dark. His eyes were probably still adjusting as he blindly reached for me.

"Why are you so late?" I asked softly.

"Bachelorette party," he leaned forward and nuzzled my face, his hair tickling my skin. I pushed him away.

"You want to snuggle after you tell me there were drunk girls looking for one last round before they get married?"

He was silent. "Would I tell you about a bachelorette party if I had been doing something wrong?"

I hesitated, shrugging in the dark.

"Do you think I fucked another woman, Sookie?" His tone was hard and I knew I had said the wrong thing. He left me and I felt cold. He reached out and turned on the bedside light. He looked down at me and I blinked at the new brightness. "I want you to see me when I say, I didn't fuck anybody," he said. His eyes were swimming with emotion, his jaw tight and his expression leaning toward angry.

I licked my dry lips. "I hate being this way."

"Then don't. It's crazy," he leaned toward me and his deep even breathing let me know he was trying to calm down his fury. I closed my eyes and his hand wandered up the side of my body. "Do you trust me?"

"I want to."

"Sookie."

"I do...in some ways, but the accent thing," I looked at him, touching his stubble chin. I watched his face mask over as he kept any form of emotion he had clear away for my interpretation. "Soon," I promised.

He didn't say a thing. He just brought his lips to mine. I wound my hand in his hair and he angled himself on top of me, pushing my nightie up, his erection was already at my entrance. I gasped, not ready. He rubbed me hastily, his urgency, our conflict, made me buck into his hand, as he pushed the head of his swollen cock at my clit. I dug my nails into his back.

"Sookie," he moaned, slipping a finger inside, then quickly another. I let out a guttural noise, lost in the pleasure and nothing had really happened yet. My body was on fire for Eric, and I wanted to be as close to him as possible. "Fuck, I love you," he growled, putting his cock at my entrance, pushing next to his fingers. I relaxed my body, lifting my legs up around his waist. My skin was tingling every time his grazed mine. I bucked closer and he removed his hand and plunged into me completely. I cried out at the feel of his length pushing at my g-spot and stretching me. As soon as he was inside, he knew where to go.

He shuddered above me and I pulled his face down to mine, our mouths hot and urgent as he moved in and out of me. "Harder," I said breathlessly. He complied by pounding into me once. I cried out. He waited for a moment. "Keep going," I ordered. He fucked me hard and I couldn't catch my breath. "Eric!" was all I could get out, the headboard slamming into the wall. My folds being stretched fast and my pussy being filled to the hilt. My muscles clenched around his throbbing length, his growls deafening me as he hit my spot each time and I cried out. He lifted my leg further to my chest and angled himself, reaching the perfect target and I came hard, writhing under him, sobbing through my ecstasy. He released, shaking and collapsing on top of me. He rolled us quickly and I was on top of him trying to calm my quivering body.

And just like that we forgot what we were fighting about.

***

"Um," I said turning to Eric a few days later. "How about you stay out here? You could too, Pam," I said eyeing Eric's cousin who had insisted she come with me. It was only supposed to be her and me looking for new clothes but Eric had manipulated me with sexy taunts for me to agree for him to tag along.

"I know a lot about bras, Sookie," Pam said as we stood outside the lingerie shop. I was slightly embarrassed and terrified at what size they would tell me I was. I had to resort to sports bras recently to keep them contained and those weren't pretty or manageable. "I remove them frequently."

"I do too," Eric added. I glared at him.

"I'd rather not."

"You need a second opinion," Pam raised her eyebrows looking more than amused at accompanying me in the store.

"For bras?"

"Don't you want my opinion, my lover?"

"No," I said. "I think it's weird that you'll all be watching me pick out bras," I shrugged, trying to explain it to Pam and Eric. This was so in their comfort zone that I didn't know what I could say that could turn them off.

"Silly. Let us go," Eric declared, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the store with a delighted Pam right on our heels. We were greeted by a woman dressed all in black. Eric nodded and Pam winked at her. The woman looked away, smiling. Eric picked up a lacy bra, waggling his eyebrows at me.

"I won't be able to fit into that," I said right away. "You pervert, put it down. Men aren't supposed to touch them." I yanked it from his hands and put it back on display.

"I touch them all the time," he reminded me.

"Not in stores," I hissed. He just laughed at me.

"What about this one?" I whirled around to see Pam holding up a corset.

I balked. "Yes please," Eric said.

"You two are like children," I said, flushing. "Put that down, it's ridiculous." Pam and Eric were having a grand-old time here. I was just traumatized.

"It's not ridiculous if you're putting on a show for your husband," Pam tutted, hanging it back up.

Eric nodded at me in complete agreement. "I like it very much."

"It's unrealistic for a pregnant woman," I huffed. "I couldn't fit into it, and it'd look ugly. I'm too fat."

Pam mocked gasped. Eric pulled my attentions to him, his hands running up the sides of my body, caressing my lumpiness. "You are not fat. It's all in your head. You are perfect and pregnant," he kissed my forehead. It was a bit awkward in the middle of an intimates store but it was also very sweet.

An employee came up next to us and asked a question in Swedish. "Yes," Eric said. "My wife needs new bras." I could talk for myself. I glared at him.

"Big pregnant ones," Pam said, holding up a much smaller one than I'd be getting and placing it over her shirt. I was glad she felt comfortable enough with me that she thought she could make comments like that. Not.

"Oh," the woman said softly. She pulled the tape measure from around her neck and immediately wrapped it around under my breasts. I fidget, feeling weird. Eric leaned on one of the tables crushing several bras as he watched me carefully. When she was done, she frowned at her calculations. "Um," she said slowly. "You should be about a seventy-five G."

"What? I don't know what that is," I said. "Is that European sizes?"

"I think I can figure it out to you. Translate," Pam said. "In England we're one size above Americans. So, that would mean you're a thirty-four F, which would mean you're thirty-four E, in the States."

I looked for confirmation at the sales woman. She nodded as if she knew what Pam was talking about. "We do not have this size." She gestured to my breasts.

"Sookie is too big?" Eric asked.

"Are you sure?" I asked the woman. She smiled weakly. I let that sink in for a bit while Pam gave options to Eric on how to get me bigger bras. I was humiliated and horrified. A lump reached my throat and the tears fell before I could stop them. My emotions were absolutely insane lately. "Are you kidding me?" I wailed. The woman took a frightened step back. "I'm _that_ big where they don't even carry it here in the damn store. I'm going to have saggy breasts and a bad back!" I blubbered, looking from Eric's shocked expression to Pam's distaste at my emotional outburst. "Don't give me that look, you're the one who told me I was fat," I said to her.

"What?" she asked. Eric glared at her. "I didn't say anything! You were here!" she implored at her cousin. "Fix your leaking wife!"

I heaved shaky, wracking sobs, making a bigger scene in the store than I ever would have intended had my pregnancy brain not been overwhelmed with this new development.

"Some women's breasts don't grow during pregnancy and mine? Mine water balloon up! And I just have to wait another fucking year before they get normal again!"

"Sookie, please, breathe," Eric said. I hit him away.

"This is like a quarter of your fault," I pointed at my stomach.

"A quarter?"

"Well it's half my fault and since your sorta the father it gives you a half of a half!" I sobbed.

"What is she talking about?" Pam shook her head. "Could you get her a glass of water?" she said to the sales lady who gladly hurried off.

The glass of water did help and I spent the rest of the afternoon talking with the manager or something about options for bras. I left the mall defeated and more than a little depressed. I know some girls want bigger breasts, but when their already at a big size, you don't need it to be anymore big. In fact it's odd how sad you'll get when you're told you need to go up a size, let alone two. I closed the bedroom door on Eric and found myself crawling into bed for an afternoon nap.

***

When I got home one afternoon from work the apartment was empty. Eric and Pam were checking out real estate today for their business, which only reminded me that Eric and I had to do that soon for our own place. It was always weird when the apartment didn't have Eric in it. I made myself some lunch and sat in the eerie quiet. I was becoming restless, sitting here, alone and with my thoughts. I tried to find something to do but the apartment was clean and I did all my laundry yesterday. I didn't think I could sit and focus on a book either. I stood uselessly in the middle of the living room, bored, isolated and pregnant.

The phone rang and I rushed to it, pathetically. "Hello?" I asked.

There was a shuffle. "Is Eric there?" the voice whispered. I heard a sniffle and wondered who it was. I didn't know many people so the caller ID gave me no hint.

"No, he's out. This is Sookie, can I leave a message?" I heard a sharp intake of breath and a bang. "Hello?" I asked warily.

"This is Felicia," the voice said in hushed tones.

"Oh...can I help you?" I really had no idea what to say. Eric wouldn't have wanted to talk to her even if he was here. What was she thinking? "Felicia?" I tried again.

"I'm in trouble and...Eric's the only one I know who can help, his friend Anders...he's my boyfriend now and...Oh fuck."

"Felicia...Are you okay? Do you need help?"

"No, no, just forget it."

I felt like she was in trouble and she was about to hang up. "No! Wait, tell me where you are and I'll come over. You can talk with me," I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

There was a pause. "Really?" she asked, sounding hopeful and sad all at once. Her emotions were making _me_ tear up over the phone. I couldn't leave her be. I'd wonder all day long if she was alright.

"Yeah, I'll be there right away." She told me the address and I set off, leaving a note to Eric, vaguely saying where I was.

I got into a cab just outside Eric's building and handed him the diver a piece of paper with the address on it. He drove off and I felt my nerves in my stomach fluttering like butterflies. What the fuck was I doing? I breathed in raggedly, unsure of my emotions. I had to help Felicia. Eric might not, but I did. What if something happened to her and I was left with the guilt of knowing I could have done something?

We pulled up in front of a building and it wasn't exactly the nicest part in town. In fact, it was a part I'd never seen before. I hesitantly got out after paying the driver and walked toward it. A man was leaving so he held the door open for me. He wasn't a nice looking man. He, none to subtly checked me out. I went into the elevator which was like a death-trap in itself. I felt as if it would drop if I moved an inch, especially since it stopped for a while for no real reason. I was going to take the stairs back down, that was for sure. I walked over to apartment five-eleven and rapped. I didn't have to wait long before Felicia opened the door. There was a large bruise on her right eye that was an odd green and yellow and there were other red marks on her exposed chest and arms.

"Oh, Felicia," I muttered. She pulled me into the apartment and closed the door.

"You didn't have to come, but thank you. I'm just...so scared right now," she said. I looked around the apartment and it was trashed as if a huge fight had broken out. It reminded me when she broke two glass items when she fought with Eric in the apartment a few weeks ago.

"What happened?" I asked, feeling scared that this Anders guy was still around.

She took me into her kitchen and we sat at the small ugly table that had leftover food from who knows how long on plates. She pushed them away and my inner neat-freak was having a heart attack.

"Anders...I can't...I'm just so scared right now," her voice wobbled and massive tears fell from her eyes. I swallowed the lump in my own throat. My sentimentality was through the roof at the moment. I nodded trying to keep control with my own emotions and not be the one crying on _her_ shoulder.

I reached out and grabbed her hand. She looked a bit shocked. "Honey, did he hurt you?" I asked in my kindest voice. She nodded, her face cracking into tormented sobs. She fell onto my shoulder and cried. I rubbed her back soothingly trying to give her comfort but was at a loss of what to do. "It's okay," I murmured. What the hell do I say? How could I help her? "I'll be here. How about we go out for some coffee?" I couldn't drink it, but it was freaking me out being in here. I felt as if Anders was just around the corner ready to hack my body with an axe. I didn't know him, but this was the visual I got.

She looked at me, terrified with the suggestion. "He said if I leave..." she couldn't get the rest of it out.

"Oh shit," I muttered. This was one of those moments because I heard the front door being opened. Felicia jumped to her feet wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I dragged you into this," she said quickly. "Stand up. I'm so so sorry." I stood up quickly, my heart hammering in my ears. Felicia walked in front of me and I saw her boyfriend Anders. He wasn't very tall, but he was broad and extremely well muscled. A punch from him could kill, I gulped, scared out of my mind.

He snapped something in Swedish as soon as he saw me. Felicia answered hastily. "This is Eric's girlfriend...I mean, wife, Sookie."

He eyed me, looking fucking pissed. Fuck. I wanted to cry and beg him to let me go. But, I was too paralyzed to move or say anything. "Eric has a wife? Where's that bastard been? Haven't seen him in a while."

"He just came back," Felicia choked. Anders gaze narrowed on her.

"Did you welcome him back with open legs?" he spat at his girlfriend. I backed into the kitchen table at his tone. "Did you fuck him? Did you fuck me over with him?"

"No!" Felicia burst out. "No! Please, Sookie, you can go!" she pushed me toward the door.

"Back the fuck up!" he roared at me. I couldn't move. "You're not going anywhere. Felicia, you dragged her into this fucking pigsty, dammit she's going to watch."

"You're high," Felicia cried. "Stop it. Let her leave."

He barrelled toward us and I let out a shout as he grabbed Felicia by the hair and she fell to her knees, he dragged her across the carpet and I could only imagine the burn. I closed my eyes, wailing at him to stop.

"Please! Stop! Just let her leave with me!" I yelled in hysterics.

"You're not going anywhere, sit the fuck down, cunt!" he snapped pointing at the couch. I did as he said. Oh fuck.

Felicia was on the ground shouting for him to stop. He slapped her across the face, the sound deafening in my ear. I closed my eyes tight as she whimpered. What could I do?

"Please, please, stop," was all I could say.

"Shut the fuck up! I told her not to be a little bitch and run her mouth off!" his accent was sharp and fierce as his words tore into the air, slicing at the heart. He began his harsh words in Swedish as he stood to his full height and kicked Felicia in the ribs. I swore I heard something crack. He had those massive boots with steel toes. I was crying in earnest.

"Oh God, please," I murmured. I looked away. It felt cowardly but it was all I could do.

Eric had recently gotten me a cell phone and the ringtone cut through the shouting. I opened the phone instinctively. Anders whirled toward me, his eyes wild and I could see just how crazed and drug-addicted he was. I knew it was Eric who called me, no one else did.

"Turn the fucking phone off!" Anders roared. I fumbled with it and he took it from my hand smashing it into the wall. Oh shit.

"I'm sorry," I gasped. I stared at my broken phone, knowing there was no way in hell Eric would know where I was. Dumb, Sookie. So damn dumb. He pulled Felicia up by the hair to her dead feet. She was out, unconscious. I saw that he was sporting an erection and I sobbed quietly.

"Don't move!" he pointed at me and I watched him begin to undo his zipper. Okay, there was no way in hell I was letting this happen. I saw opportunity. He was involved with Felicia, his back to me. I stood up slowly. Had no one called the cops? Was this such a regular annoyance that the neighbours didn't care?

Thank God the carpet wasn't noisy. I quietly headed to the front door. I was sure he was inside poor Felicia now. This was just too awful and horrendous. I went to the front door and realized there was no way he couldn't know I was leaving. I gave myself a minute to breathe before I ripped the door open and burst out into the hall.

"Help!" I screamed, pounding on any door I could. "Help!" I repeated over and over as I reached the end of the hall and saw Anders leave the apartment looking at me way down the hall. I pounded on one door repeatedly as I saw him charge toward me. I hit the door I was in my reach, feeling sick to my stomach as the crazed man came for me. Finally the door opened and I pushed my way through, and the person who opened it closed it firmly, the loud thump of Anders hitting it on the other side.

I gasped falling on my bottom. "Quick, call nine-one-one," I said. It was a teenage boy who looked absolutely panicked. "NOW!" He ran to the phone and dialled. I was numb and felt deaf as I sat there, feeling horrible for being safe when Felicia wasn't. I could do nothing but cry. The boy handed me a glass of water and I thankfully chugged it down before I was hunched over the toilet vomiting through my morning sickness, mid-afternoon.

I heard the sirens outside. I wasn't sure how much time had passed since I was safely in this random apartment but I straightened myself up and went further in to see the boy looking pale and stricken.

"Thank you," I rasped, my voice feeling hoarse. He nodded slowly.

"He will kill me," he said. I shook my head, not knowing what to say to that. After seeing Anders I could understand why everyone was terrified of calling the police on him. Poor Felicia.

"Can I use your phone?" I asked. He nodded and I went over, dialling Eric's number.

"Hej?" Eric's voice came on.

"Eric," his voice was the most beautiful thing.

"Sookie? What happened? Where are you?" Eric's madness rambled on and I told him where I was without too much detail on what happened. He said he'd be there soon. The address obviously wasn't familiar to him because he didn't say anything like "You're at my old pal Anders' or Felicia's?"

I heard some shouting down the hall as the police apprehended Anders. I exited the apartment and advanced toward the cops who were watching the paramedics take Felicia. I should follow her, but I had to wait for Eric.

The police waved at me to stop; I couldn't tell for sure though, he wasn't speaking English. I waited, knowing I would have to be questioned. I had witnessed most of it. I felt weak and drained.

The cops finally cornered me and they explained to me in English, although there were a couple barriers with the officer I had, who didn't seem too keen on the language. Eric came up the stairs. I saw him behind the officer. His hair was a mess and his eyes were wild. He raced over to me ignoring the cops who were yelling at him to stop. He came to me and pulled me in to a hug, his voice deep and gravelly.

"Sookie? What the fuck happened? Are you okay? My lover, please say you're alright," he pulled back, touched my stomach then my cheek kissing my lips briefly, his face clearly showing how upset he was. I was still shaken, I couldn't concentrate too much.

"We have to go to the hospital," I said.

"What? Is the baby alright?" Terror filled his expression. My heart leaped. I just wanted to cry and have him hold me all night. I shook my head, unsure.

"I – I don't know. But Felicia is there –"

"Felicia?" Eric asked. "Sookie, what happened?" The officer cleared his throat and Eric told him some things quickly in Swedish. The officer didn't look impressed but backed away for a bit. "Sookie, tell me. My heart is hurting not knowing if you're okay."

"I am, sort of. Felicia is worse. Oh, Eric," I moved into his arms and he held me tight as I cried the day's events to him. He remained quiet but tense as he listened to all I had to say. God knows if he could understand me. When I was done, I stained his shirt further, but he held me tight and I felt so safe that I wondered if I could just sleep in his arms and forget about it all.

The officer returned and Eric asked him if I could come another day and talk. The man looked disgruntled but handed Eric his card and he quickly pocketed it. My legs could barely hold me up and Eric helped me down the stairs. When we were outside, Eric called a cab. We didn't say anything. He just held me and I closed my eyes relishing in his hold.

"I love you," I whispered to him.

"My Sookie, I love you too," he sighed, kissing the top of my head. A car pulled up alongside us.

We got in the cab. "We're going to the hospital, right?" I asked him.

His face was a hard mask as he looked straight ahead and not at me. "We're going for you, not for Felicia."

"What?" I asked. "I'm fine. Felicia is in an awful..."

"Anders is bad. She knows this. She went with him anyway. She likes pity," Eric said sharply. My eyes widened.

"Eric! She's hurt! It doesn't matter! She has no one!"

"I will not look out for every person who needs help, Sookie. I will protect mine and she is not a part of that. I only am concerned for you and our daughter," Eric said firmly, looking at me, his blue eyes intense with emotion.

"Well, I'm not like that."

"Clearly," Eric snapped. "You went there without knowing what was happening, Sookie. It was very foolish. Felicia likes drama and to mess with people's heads. This is what she did with you."

I balked, unsure of what to say. "You're an asshole," was all I could come up with.

"Yes," he said undisturbed. "I am an evil bastard who wants to keep his family safe and has no time for the woman who put my wife in harm."

"I'm going to see, Felicia."

"You will see a doctor," Eric said firmly. He looked at my expression and held his ground for a second before he said. "I will call Pam."

I felt my nostrils flare as he pulled out his cell phone. "Whether you like it or not Eric Northman I'm going to help Felicia. I won't sit back and let her deal with this alone."

That set Eric off, he turned to me ready to respond when Pam answered. He talked to her. I pulled away from him, glaring out the window. We didn't waste our time on anger in the taxi.

We waited hours in the emergency for our turn in angry silence. When my name was finally called, the doctor informed me that the baby was in distress. She asked me to calm down. I was attached to machines as we tried to fix my body from the situation I was just in. I was so overwhelmed by the whole day that I slept through most of it.

When I woke, I talked with the doctor, who asked Eric to leave at some point because he was being unreasonable while I was sleeping. She asked me about integrating into Stockholm. She was very nice and very sweet as I talked about the struggle I was experiencing. She gave me pamphlets and lists of things that could help me relax when I was feeling stressed or depressed saying that prenatal depression was more common that people thought. She said if I didn't relax more it could put the baby in serious danger. I cried through most of her lecture. She was always rational and never mean to me and very understanding. She told me to eat right and to get into a form of exercise as a release. She told me to talk to my regular doctor and I nodded in understanding.

I was alone for only a short time before Eric came back in and joined me, kissing my hand and arm over his mantra of apologies.

I didn't say much, I just let my thoughts whirl through my head. This was not how I saw my life with Eric. I looked at him and knew in my heart of hearts that I loved him. There was no doubt. I couldn't imagine not being with him. As hard as this was, it somehow, in the end, felt right. He was the only positive thing in this situation and I knew both of us weren't willing to let the other go and that made me feel better. For now.

**LOOK IT'S A BLUE EASTER EGG! IT'S RIGHT BELOW WHAT I'M SHOUTING! IF YOU CLICK THE REVIEW BUTTON CHOCOLATEY GOODNESS WILL COME YOUR WAY!.....I think. I will mentally send the chocolatey goodness. Either way, there's Eric's blue eyes intensely gazing at you, urging you to click. Need I say more?**


	6. My Baby Just Cares For Me

**AN: Sooooo. This chapter turned into something I did not plan at all. It was supposed to be angsty, but Euro!Eric has been talking to me again after so long of him being silent and broody. This chapter he's like SEX! BLUNTNESS! WOO! So, here you are. It's kinda ruined the rest of my plan for the story now since everything turned out positively. Oh well. Here it is.**

**I'm in official exam time now. I shouldn't be writing the next chapter until like Thursday night. We'll see how that goes. I'm going to try and be strong though, so wish me luck! All this school stuff will be over by April 20th, I'm counting down the days!!**

**Thanks for all your awesomeness guys! Truly, from the bottom of my heart.  
**

_"Life would be a lot easier if conversations were rewindable and erasable, like videos. Or if you could instruct people to disregard what you just said, like in a courtroom."_  
— Sophie Kinsella, _Confessions of a Shopaholic_

Chapter 6: My Baby Just Cares for Me

Eric had walked me to my yoga class before heading off to work. It was on Tuesday's and Thursday's at seven-thirty. This was good. This was going out and socializing and exercising and relaxing. It was for pregnant women and the class only had five other people. The instructor helped me and after a few weeks I was starting to pick up on what he meant when he said each thing. During meditation, he'd talk in Swedish. It'd remind me of Eric and I'd calm, relax, empty my brain and just let it all out.

Hormonal wise, I was feeling better. I had entered the second trimester and I now had a nice little baby bump. I put my hand over it even though I was supposed to have both hands flat on the ground. I touched it a lot lately. So did Eric. It had been a weird few weeks, but I was getting into a better routine, and eating properly. I had a long lecture from Gran the last time I talked to her and had jotted down her advice, however reluctant and annoying it might have been.

"What are you doing?" Eric had asked last night. Monday the club was closed. He was used to staying up late and looked nowhere near tired as I walked into the bedroom ready to sleep. He lounged on the bed staring at me with a suggestive smirk.

"I have to put lotion on. I don't want stretch marks," I informed him, dropping my towel. I had just taken a shower. His eyes widened as he focused on my changing body. With the amount of hours he spent worshipping it, I was beginning to believe he liked the pregnancy on me. I still thought I was fat, but the look in his eye informed me that he thought differently.

"May I?" he rasped. I smiled slightly, nodding and handing over the bottle. He scooted down the bed closer to me. I stepped toward him. He put some on his hand and pulled me nearer, placing me between his legs at the end of the bed. "And your breasts?"

"If you want," I bit my lower lip and he looked up at me, his eyes heavy with lust. "But I want to talk to you about a few things," I said. He groaned as he rubbed the lotion into my skin. I think he was having a better time than me. I giggled at that.

"I just want to fuck you and bite you and rub myself all over you," he growled. I felt a jolt hit my center and I jumped under his hands.

"Don't distract me."

"We can talk after," he began to rub the lotion on my breasts, massaging them delicately. They were still a bit sensitive, but he made it thrilling. I moaned, pushing my chest out closer to him. "So fucking big, my lover."

"I'm sticky," I said. His head was practically at my level, even though he was sitting. He leaned forward and kissed, still kneading my breasts. I gasped into his mouth, feeling him palm my nipples, pinching them, sending a shock of need to my throbbing core. That was fast. I was wet for him already. It never took long with Eric, mind you. He knew how to work me. He could glance at me sideways and I was willing to bend over for him. It was quite embarrassing and pathetic actually. His warm, skilled mouth parted mine and our tongues touched, pressuring the other to give in and take control. I wound my hands in his hair, urging him closer, his hands were on my stomach, slowly stroking the small bump. I pushed him backward and he let me lean over, our mouths unwilling to part.

His lotion hands went down my hips and over to my ass, forcing me to push my body against his clothed one. I tugged at his shirt and he kicked off the ground shimmying us further up the bed, I laughed as our lips couldn't help but separate. He grinned at me.

"Soon sex will be awkward."

"Mmm," he licked his lips and looked excited. "It will still be sexy."

"That's what you say now," I chortled as he sat up and whipped his shirt over his head.

"Why do I even wear clothes? Should I just strip when I walk in the door?"

He picked me up effortlessly and threw me to the side, looming over me. I couldn't help smiling as we pushed his stupid jeans over his delectable ass. I pinched it and he made an "Ooh" noise. "Do that again," he said, showing me his teeth. I chomped my teeth loudly at him. He grinned and I shoved at his chest. He fell onto his back delighted at my eagerness.

"Turn over," I said to him. He raised his eyebrows and I saw his cock throb, jerking at my order.

"Fuck yes," he moaned, his butt in the air. He wiggled it. I couldn't help laughing as I went over to the table and took the lotion.

"A massage, my lover?" I teased him, feeling the strongest urge to be brazen tonight.

He moaned again, in response. My hands gravitated to his ass before I could tease his back for a bit. Damn traitor hands. I loved this part of his anatomy. I couldn't help but drool at its curve. I rubbed it hard and he humped the bed in response. A low noise was in the back of his throat as I worked it, pushing his ass up. I leaned over and licked his cheek. He chuckled.

"You are bad, Sookie Stackhouse," he groaned. Since he said so, I smacked it hard. "Ungh," he grunted, bucking. I smiled smugly; squeezing his delectable ass in my hands. I leaned over and bit it. He flinched, followed by a laugh. I licked where I bit and then I sunk my teeth in hard drawing blood. He shouted out. "Blood thirsty, woman!" he roared. I sucked at the mark I made and a slow shudder went from his head to his toes. He rolled over surprising me. I laughed as he grabbed my upper arms and pulled me up his body. His lips found mine, moving softly as he groaned. "You have marked me, min Älskling. I am yours." I found myself purring at his words.

We rolled to our sides, still kissing. He lifted my leg at his hip, his hard cock teasing my folds, I moved for him to enter me, but his large hand settled on my waist holding me still.

"I almost came when you bit. I'll try to last long."

"That's nice. I won't. Fuck me," I said breathlessly. He kissed and penetrated at the same time. I put my arm at his neck, the other between us grabbing the base of his cock. We moved, his grip on my thigh, hard, his nails dug in. I sighed when he thrust into me, filling completely as if we were made for this. My heart hammered and I felt hot and sweaty. I pushed the bangs from his forehead and he moaned, his eyes shutting briefly before they focused on me again, sending my heart into back flips, his blue eyes alight with want. I was already coming undone and I was desperate for us to finish at the same time. I gripped his balls and he snarled in the most primitive way that it triggered my release. I shook in his arms. He kept me firmly in place, thrusting into me, his balls slapping my ass, a few more times before he came, his head at the crook of my neck as he trembled against me.

We lay still for a couple minutes, just our lips moving against one another, lazily, him still inside. Finally, I was on my back and he was next to me, his head on my shoulder.

"I think we should cover up, we have some things to discuss," I said.

"Now?"

"You already delayed it till after sex," I reminded him. His hand traveled between my breasts and to my stomach where he kept it, even though I felt too hot for that, it was a nice gesture. I turned my head and kissed his nose. "Can we talk about the baby?"

"Names?"

"Um, I guess..." I said, not really having that in mind when I geared us up for a conversation.

"Well, Pam wants us to use hers."

"No."

"Okay. I agree. How about Hedwig?"

"Are you serious?" I scoffed, trying to see his expression. "We're not choosing some freaky Swedish name."

"Hey," he said, stroking my stomach now.

"What about boy names?" I asked after a minute.

"We're having a girl."

"We don't know that," I sang softly.

"We do. I had the dream. That's how it is," he kissed my ear.

I jiggled my foot, feeling impatient. "How about we go on to other subjects and worry about the sex and the names in a few weeks when we ask the doctor okay?"

He nodded against me. I think he'd love to just lie inside me all day long because he didn't seem to be close enough for his liking as he lifted a leg across mine, trying to share my skin or something.

"So, about the birthing process," I did not want to think about that yet, but I had to. "I'll be doing drugs, just as a heads up."

He lifted his own head at that. "Why?" he asked looking plainly confused and I saw my old Eric.

"Because pain equals a horrible experience in my books. I'd like this to be as pleasant as possible. In fact knocking me out completely would be heavenly," I said frankly.

"Mmm, I think you could handle the pain."

"That's nice to hear, but no. Drug me up, Scotty," I grinned and Eric didn't understand. "Alright," I continued. "I just want to be in as less pain as possible."

"I think you should have the baby for real. Natural," he said, his eyes wide and innocent.

I laughed slightly and saw his seriousness. "Are you kidding?" I asked flatly.

"I've been reading drugs are bad for the baby," he said.

"No, not always. Everyone does drugs nowadays," I said, realizing I sounded like a bad scenario in a PSA. "Wait, you've been reading about the baby?" I asked feeling an 'aww' threatening to spill out of my mouth.

He nodded slowly. "When I wake up, I sit with the computer and eat breakfast. I read as much as I can. I don't know lots about babies," he smiled bashfully. Be still my heart that was adorable.

So, I moved on to his lips again, rolling on top of him. He responded in kind.

"Okay, so," I said, a little while later. "I'm doing drugs."

"I thought we said natural."

"Listen, if you suggest natural one more time," I said raising a finger at him. He just put it in his mouth, sucking hard. "You can't even go again, hold your horses." I pushed him away and he put an arm behind his head looking up at me with a shit-eating grin on his face. "So after the baby," I said. I started to get out of bed.

"Where are you going, come back with me?" he murmured in my ear.

"Wait, just a second, I'll be right back," I said. He reluctantly let me go and I padded out of the room and into the living room where I got some papers out of my bag. "You're going to have to help me with the Swedish, I'm not sure what the questions are asking specifically. But..." I handed him the piece of paper. He took it, shaking his head in amusement until he saw what it was.

"What – the – fuck?" he said slowly. "Sookie," he held it up. "What is this?" I heard his accent there. I raised an eyebrow.

"Do you not want to sign it?" I asked slowly.

"No, you're ridiculous!" he spat tossing the paper away, which didn't do any good since it just glided back to him. I picked it up instead.

"I'm saying, _just_ in case something goes wrong, we have this! I got one too for you," I said. That did not go over well. He sat up pulling the covers over his body. Well, if one thing turned Eric off sex it was discussing death. "I think it's only practical to have a will, everyone's got one."

"Yeah, I already have one," Eric said, his brows furrowing, in anger.

"Then, let's arrange mine."

"Nothing's going to happen to you. I don't want to discuss this," Eric said indignantly. "Put it away. Let's go to sleep."

I laughed shortly. "Are you kidding me? I could die during childbirth. I could walk into the street and get hit by a car. Lightening can strike – we don't know. Since I'm already in this strange predicament," I pointed to the stomach. "I think we should discuss the options if I die during childbirth and the baby is...not yours," I ended weakly.

He looked at me with a mix of severity and pain. "Sookie," he said slowly.

"There are some things that are out of our control," I said crawling beside him in bed. He put and arm around me absent-mindedly. I put the paper on his chest and he touched my stomach. "If I die," he did a sharp intake. "Then you'll have something to go off. Also, life insurance so it would cover the cost of the funeral. I'd rather not have anyone pay for that. It's my death. I'll pay."

"I don't like this," he said. "You're being ridiculous. Sookie, _please_, let's just sleep." He was pleading now? I decided to take a different approach.

"You have a will," I pointed out.

"Yes. I have businesses," he continued. He looked at me now. "I recently changed it, it all goes to you and the baby."

"The businesses?" I balked.

"Well, Pam is in there too. You could help with the clubs if it's what you want."

I scowled, suddenly seeing why this conversation wasn't so pleasant when you weren't talking about yourself. "So," I huffed. "Will you help me fill it out?"

He sighed. "Yes, tomorrow after your work," he caressed my skin aimlessly.

"Good, and remember we're doing house hunting on Wednesday!"

He kissed the top of my head. "Anything else you want to talk about?" I teased my bottom lip between my teeth.

"There's a lot, I want to talk about – or don't, rather, but have to. How about we go to something easier?"

He raised his eyebrows and I sat up again, crossing my legs. I wouldn't be able to do that soon. I looked at him. "The baby will know Swedish and I won't."

"Mmm, yes," he said.

"I think you should start talking to me in Swedish or I take a class. I mean, I've gotten a little bit of it, hearing it at school and stuff, but it's all still really new. Maybe I should watch more TV here or something," I said. "I want to know what my kid is talking about when it mixes up English and Swedish when it learns how to speak. Or I _could_ take a class," I continued. "I'll have to look that up more."

"I already talk Swedish to you," he started to lie down on his back, instead of against the headboard. He took my hand and kissed the knuckles. "When you make me so fucking hard I can't think of anything, but gibberish and Swedish. I come and speak to you in my language."

"I don't know what you're saying," I smiled.

"It's not much," he admitted, smiling back at me. "I can talk more."

"Good," I said. "I'd like to know what words you're putting in the mouth of our baby." He smiled hugely and pulled me down to his chest, so that we could sleep.

I sighed when the lights were turned back on and I remembered I was in the yoga studio. The woman next to me smiled. Her stomach was about three times the size of mine. I nodded to her. We stood up and all began to walk out.

"Tack," I said to the instructor, a man probably in his late thirties.

"You're welcome, Sookie," he said. I noticed accents all the time now. I had to get that out of my head.

I found myself outside in the streets and I knew where I was. It was an odd feeling, getting to know the city. I had an idea on where to go. First, I was craving pie. I went into a little pastry shop that was closing soon and I got a slice of key-lime and sat and ate it. Afterward, I found myself wandering toward Eric's club. I hadn't been here since the end of July when I may or may not have gotten pregnant. It was a bit odd actually, now that I thought about it.

I was standing outside, staring at the line in yoga pants and a black pea coat. I wasn't used to this weather, because it was fucking _cold_ and I was bundled up to the hilts, thinking, maybe I should get some snow pants just to pull over so my legs didn't turn into ice sculptures.

I thought it'd be ridiculous if I waited in the line. I dug into my purse my hands shaking from not being stuffed into my pockets along with gloves and found my new cell phone. I was shaking in my boots, that's all I could say.

"My lover," Eric said on the other line. "Is everything alright?"

"Um, I'm outside," I said, my teeth chattering.

"Outside where?"

"Your club. I just came from class and you're not far so..."

"One second," he said, hanging up. I closed my phone and not ten seconds later Eric was rounding the side of the building, waving me over so I could go through the employee entrance. I walked over and he put his arm around me. "You need to get tough Swedish skin to survive winter."

"I think it might take a while," I shivered. He laughed and he took me through the back. I forgot how dark it was in here. The lights were pulsating and the music was loud. Eric led me to the booth that first started it all. We slid on the same side since it was easier to talk that way.

"Oh, this is good," he said, beginning to undo my jacket, pushing my scarf away so he could kiss my neck.

"What are you doing?" I laughed. "Is this what you do? Lounge all night?"

"This is break time with my wife," he said kissing my cheek. I turned my head so he would miss my lips. He helped the jacket off and shoved it against the wall. "Let's kiss like kiddies."

"I hope our kiddie doesn't do any kissing," I said. He growled in my ear. He found my mouth and I humoured him for a while, even though it felt weird as if everyone was staring.

"Well, look here," Pam slid opposite us and I pushed Eric away. "Is this a re-enactment of Eric impregnating you?" Oh so Pam thought Eric was the father too? Just great. I needed to disappoint another person if this baby was Bill's...I hoped it wasn't.

"No," I said.

"I was wondering when you'd show up," Pam said. I looked to where her eyes were and there were a group of girls staring at Eric looking as if one of them was trying to get the nerve to go talk to him. Eric's arm was clearly over my shoulder, but that didn't seem to stop them. "See what a lazy boss we have here."

"You are even lazier, Pam," Eric scoffed. "I do the money."

"I hate it," she scrunched her nose.

"So, do you just get girls hitting on you all night?" I asked, watching his face carefully. I saw Pam snicker out of the corner of my eye.

"Nah, they think the erection is for them but it's for you," he shrugged. My eyes widened.

Pam's head fell back into silent hysterics. "You really need to learn how to word things," I smacked his chest.

He smirked. "Sookie, I'm joking."

"The only one laughing is Pam," I glared at him. "What do you say to them?" I asked nodding to the crowd of girls who all started to primp when Eric Northman was suddenly looking.

"They are annoying. I don't like drunk women begging to have sex. _I _approach the woman, remember?" he moved his forehead to mine, pushing me back, his hand on my stomach. He kissed my eye briefly before pulling us back up, beaming at me. "I have a bathroom off my office. I fuck myself when I think about you too much."

"You need a filter on that mouth," I blushed at his words.

"It's true," Pam nodded. "I've caught him exiting that bathroom with the stupidest smile several times."

I laughed along with Pam and Eric for another hour, but I was getting real tired. It was ten o'clock and was approaching my recent bedtime. I yawned.

"I need to go home," I said. Eric left the booth so I could and helped me into my jacket. I wrapped the scarf securely around my neck and he took me outside to get a cab.

"I really think we should get a car." I just leaned into him, too sleepy to talk about that seriously. He waited outside of the club with me. I think several people were pointing and whispering seeing Eric Northman with a woman and not getting in the cab with her. He hailed one. "I will be home soon, Sookie," he kissed me sweetly on the lips.

I yawned again. "Baby is taking away my energy."

"Let's name her Baby," he smiled.

"Shut up," I laughed slightly. I got in the cab and it whisked me back to the apartment. Bed was calling to me...

***

Here we were, looking at houses. And I had to say, as exhausting as it was, I was having a lot of fun.

"If we live in any of these, we'd have to get a car for sure," I mumbled. It was a good twenty minute drive without too much traffic out here.

"I have to get my bike out next spring," he said to me. "Do you know how?"

I frowned. "Yeah, but I'm not that into biking," I admitted.

"Ah, everyone bikes here."

"I noticed." We wandered the house hand-in-hand the real estate agent talking in Swedish as she showed around other couples. I had no idea what she was saying but Eric told me as we moved around. This was the third house we'd seen today and I really liked this area. We weren't too far from the water too. The house had three bedrooms and two baths. It was perfect. "I think I like this one the best."

Eric nodded as we wandered off on our own and stood in the biggest bedroom that overlooked the houses below and the water. I grinned at him.

"I'll talk to the agent," he kissed my forehead. I stared out the window, imagining myself living here and kids running around in the yard. I mentally hit myself. There would not be any other kids for a _really really_ long time. My phone rang. I answered it without really seeing who it was.

"Sookie? It's Felicia."

I carefully looked over my shoulder to see if Eric had re-entered the room. He would not be happy with this conversation. "Hi, how are you? Did you get my texts?"

"Yeah...I've been a bit busy. With my cousin. Recovering," she said.

"That's good. You didn't have to respond, I just wanted to know that you were okay." I had seen her at the hospital a few days after the ordeal a month ago. We had exchanged numbers and her cousin was there to take her to her island home to get better. I hadn't brought up Felicia again and Eric was happy. I'd have to mention this conversation with him...Ugh, that wasn't going to be fun.

"Well, I'm better now. I was wondering...would you like to come over someday and you know, have lunch?" she sounded awkward and shy. I knew this probably wasn't a good idea.

"Um, yeah, Eric will probably drop me off, to be sure. He's not too happy," I said.

She snorted. "He shouldn't be. I feel just awful for what I brought you into, Sookie. I – I want to apologize in person," she said.

Eric entered the room, looking curiously at the phone in my hand. He mouthed the question of who it was. I held up a hand. "I'll call you again later, okay? Tonight?"

"Yeah, sure. Talk with Eric first," she said. "Bye Sookie."

"Bye," I said closing the phone. I looked at Eric with what I'm sure was a guilty expression. "Um, that was Felicia," I said. He had the exact reaction I expected. His face darkened and he looked tempted to smash my cell phone into bits. "She invited me over to her cousin's house on one of the islands or something?"

He walked slowly; his height and his size never looked more intimidating. He leaned against the wall next to the window, his gaze penetrating into me in stabs of guilt. "You're not going."

"Please," I closed my eyes. "Don't make this into some controlling remark about what I can and cannot do. You can drop me off, you can even stay. I just feel...I'm not going to be as stupid as before. But, I think she really wants me as a friend. I don't know if I can give her that but I'd like to just get an update on how she is," I said, shrugging. "I think she's ready to talk and she doesn't really have anyone to talk to. Her cousin doesn't seem too pleased with her being at her house."

"She doesn't have a good relationship with her," Eric said stiffly.

"Then, she needs to see a happy face," I said, moving forward and wrapping my arms around his waist, resting my chin on his chest to look up at him. He kept eye contact. "And I'm happy now. I feel better."

"It's the yoga," he said.

"And you," I turned my head and I felt his arms wrap around me. "You can be there every step of the way. If you don't want to stay you can drive around and I'll call you if it gets too weird and you can pick me up or...I don't know."

"Okay, that sounds okay," he said, reluctantly. If he had his way he'd probably find a way to kill off Felicia so I wouldn't be put into danger. That seemed awful to say but whenever I'd bring it up this past month he had looked murderous. We hadn't even mentioned his old pal Anders.

I kissed his chest through his shirt. "What's the word on the house?" I asked him.

"We have to put in an offer," he said. "Do you want to? Or should we look more? I don't get it much. I like it. We should get one of those inspector people or something."

"Sure," I said, not really understanding the protocol of buying a house, especially one in Sweden. I felt as if everything was completely different here, but it wasn't really. Well, it was, but it wasn't. I didn't know how to explain it.

When we got home that night I found myself in _another_ awkward phone conversation that was sure to upset Eric again. We were cooking dinner when I answered it.

"Hello?" I asked. Eric smiled at me, while he sneaked a green bean to eat.

"Sookie, hi," said the voice of my ex-boyfriend. "Do you have time to talk?"

"Hold on," I said, putting the phone to my shoulder. "Uh, Bill's on the phone and I think he wants to have a big long talk," I whispered to Eric.

Eric rolled his eyes, his jaw tightening. "Great, I wonder what he can be saying," his accent very prominent. I winced slightly and left him to do the cooking.

I sat on the couch, fine with Eric hearing me, just not with staring at me. "Okay, Bill, what's up?"

I waited for him to speak. "I realize that how I handled things with you in Barcelona was wrong," he spoke quickly.

"Okay," I said.

"I shouldn't have proposed to you. I shouldn't have been scared about the baby like I was. Whether you've accepted it or not, Sookie, that baby could very well be mine. I've done research and I know why you haven't done any form of paternity test yet since it can cause a miscarriage." He was so straightforward and clinical. I felt goose bumps at the thought of losing the baby, I'd learned a thing or two recently. "I hope you haven't forgotten that I am...partly the father."

I cleared my throat. "I didn't just forget about you, Bill. I know the situation I'm in," I felt a little irritable at what he said. "I'm sorry. Please, say what you need to."

"I know you're in there. And I doubt very much you'll be coming home, so...It's my child too. I've booked off work for a couple months and I'll be staying in Stockholm."

I was speechless. I couldn't find my voice even if I wanted it. I made a noise of surprise, unable to form words. Eric could somehow read the vibe through the wall and peeked around glimpsing my shocked expression.

"Sookie?" he asked, looking worried.

"Bill, are you insane?" I screeched.

There was a pause. "I knew you would say that. I've made up my mind. I'm not going to be stuck here in Louisiana worrying about you that last month."

I was catching flies. "I don't think you've thought this through..."

"I have. The baby is due April 21st and I will be there March 14th. I have my hotel booked and I'll be doing some things for work via email."

I looked at Eric, wondering if he could see the horror on my face. "Bill's coming to Stockholm."

"When?" Eric said immediately. His look of concern turned to one of outrage.

"He wants to be here when the baby is born."

"Tell Swedish boy I'm not backing down," Bill said. What the fuck? Fucking men. I hated them!

"Bill's not backing down, apparently," I told Eric. Eric's expression of outrage turned to one of pity. He shook his head, astonished by Bill, it seemed.

"Tell him he's a douche," my husband said. I'd never heard him use that word before. It sounded weird.

"Bill," I said slowly. "I hope you know what you're doing." I certainly didn't. I didn't even know what to fucking say to that.

"Oh, I do, Sookie. If there's a small chance that baby's mine, I'm going to fight my hardest to be a part of its life. Goodbye, Sookie."

"Oh boy," I said, numb. "Bye Bill." I hung up and looked up at Eric who looked pissed off again. He was just changing his expressions on and off, not knowing what the hell he should feel.

"I'll hit him if he makes you cry," Eric declared.

I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Fuck me," I muttered. I realized that was what got me into this mess.

**Down by the bay. Where the watermelons grow. Back to my home, I dare not go. For if I do, my mother would say "REVIEW!" Muah. I think I should stop these things, I'm running out of ideas. LOL.**


	7. Wrong, Baby, Wrong

**AN: So apparently some people have been complaining that Eric hasn't been giving Sookie enough head, so what happens BELOW (ha) is for you :D**

**Sorry this took so long. I'm doing major studying (salute!) and it's been a bit hectic, along with writers block. Seastarr08 helped me out with it and I think I have an idea with the rest of this story, which may or may not end in three chapters. We'll see.**

**Thanks for the reviews! I hope you enjoy!**

**Thanks to my beta beatlechickstep!!**

****Also, if you're interested in what Eric has to say, I have a one shot for the Support Stacie auction that takes place during Over the Hills and Far Away and it's from Eric's POV. Go to my profile and check it out!  
**

_"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."_  
— J.K. Rowling, _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_

Chapter 7: Wrong Baby, Wrong

I put away my iPod once I entered the school a few days later, ready for work. I always tried to set up the day by getting to class about twenty minutes before the kids arrived. I had gotten my own desk across the classroom from Sophie-Anne and when I saw that it had been wiped clean of all my belongings shoved in a cardboard box, I was stunned. I looked to Sophie-Anne's desk and saw her waiting, glaring and her face red and puffy. Crying her eyes out for God knows how long.

"What's going on?" I asked slowly.

She stood up at the same height as me in her high heels. I could not wear those even if I wasn't pregnant. "Did you know that Pam was cheating on me?" she asked low, her voice didn't waver even though I expected it to from the amount of emotion she emanated. "I asked you, Sookie over a month ago and you _lied_," her voice cracked at the end as she accused me.

"I didn't – I – I'm sorry," I said lamely. I could not believe I was actually caught up in their little love triangle. "To be quite honest, it's none of my business. I don't want to be caught in the middle of my co-worker and my husband's cousin." This was ridiculous. I looked over at the box, dread seeping through my body.

"I thought we had a better relationship than that," she said through her teeth. Was she delusional? We barely conversed outside of school work. We didn't hang out. When I went to the movies with Pam last week she didn't accompany us. She was 'sick'. Probably spying.

I gaped. "Honestly, Sophie-Anne...I don't know what to say."

She nodded stiffly. "Well, I'll say something – you're fired. I already talked to Jakobson, you're out." I inhaled sharply, my brows furrowing as I walked over to my empty desk with as much dignity as I could muster, never being fired before. I went back to the door, feeling as if I had to say some final words. I turned back around and her one perfectly plucked eyebrow was high, challenging me.

Think Stackhouse, think. "I feel sorry for you," I said, sounding like a smug bitch. What do I say? I have a man who's waiting for me back home while you have no one? That's awful. Leaving it at that is pretty pathetic though.

Sophie-Anne shook her head, that typical condescending look shadowing her dark features. "Am I supposed to feel sorry for _you_? Knocked up, impregnated by a man who's slept with around a thousand women, in a country you don't know, jobless, no family, no friends, with a crazy ex-girlfriend and a potential murderous abusive man who might come back, all on your plate. Oh wait," her eyes widened in mock-horror. "Eric _isn't_ the father, is he?"

I glared at her, ruminating over her words. "At least he loves me," I said shakily and turned and left. Oh, that was mean. But what she said was _worse!_ But, I shouldn't have sunk down to her level. The baby bump was in my way of carrying the box properly. I just wanted to get out.

As I walked back to the apartment, the cold morning biting into my skin, I heard my cell ring. My hands were occupied so I ignored it. It rang shortly after, but I just focused on moving, trying to avoid addressing the embarrassment, the anger and the frustration that was swirling inside me, making my head spin. I was shaking from the temperature and just all around, feeling shitty.

I got to the apartment and right away I felt as if it were empty. I didn't have to check to see if Eric was still sleeping. He wasn't home. I wondered why. I put down the box on the coffee table and rifled through my bag. One missed call from Pam and a text from Eric. I checked the text to find Eric saying there was something wrong with _Rush_ and he went to see what it was. I sat on the couch, pulling off my boots. My feet were getting too swollen to wear them. I called back Pam.

"Sookie," Pam's accent clipped, cheerily.

"You called?" I asked, my voice monotone.

"I just wanted to warn you that Sophie-Anne isn't in a very good mood."

"You don't say." I wished she could see my glare.

"Hmm, yes, we had a slight disagreement. Has school started?"

"Yeah, but I'm not there. She fired me," I sounded as if I were accusing Pam – which, essentially, I was.

I heard her give a frustrated sound. "I told her not to do that. Now I'm going to have to steal her favourite dildo."

"Ugh! Pam!" I put a hand over my eyes.

"Hold on, Sook. I'm doing it _right now_. I'll be over soon. Someone broke into _Rush_ so Eric's there now talking with the cops. I have to talk with you about Sophie-Anne before he finds out. He's going to be so mad about this."

"_I'm_ so mad, Pam. I can't believe this," I muttered frustrated. "I hated that people think they can just take advantage of me because I'm young and stupid and pregnant."

"Oh, Sookie, tell me later. I'm packing up the whips." And then she hung up on me. I had no idea how to take any of that. I threw my cell phone, childishly. As soon as it bounced away from me down the couch it rang again. I groaned and answered it angrily.

"Is this a bad time?"

I was no in the mood for Felicia today. Fuck. "It sort of is," I said through my teeth.

"Oh, well, are we still on for tomorrow night?" Right. I was supposed to see Felicia tomorrow. Eric suggested we have her over here so that he could feel comfortable about me meeting with her, or something. I didn't even want to think about that right now.

"Yeah, Eric will be here too," I said absently. I wasn't going to retreat in my bed. I wasn't going to retreat in my bed.

There was a pause. "Oh. He's decided to stay for our dinner?"

"Yes," I said, noticing her strain. Eric and I were both uncomfortable with associating with Felicia after what happened a month ago. Surely she understood.

"Well great. I look forward to...seeing you both."

"You too. Bye, Felicia," I said hanging up before she could answer. I turned off my phone. Not wanting to talk to anyone. I turned on the TV and stayed on the Swedish channels, trying to make out what everyone was saying. I flicked the channels until I saw that a film was starting. I wondered if there would be subtitles. Eric's TV was so high-tech that it did! I sat back and watched, having no idea what this movie was about.

I watched the beginning of a story about a woman and her soccer player boyfriend. I had signed myself up for a romance, unknowingly and I wasn't in the mood to change the channel. I was too lazy...and a tad interested. So her boyfriend is _really_ good looking, I note, straightening up and pulling a pillow to hug to my chest. He kinda reminded me of Eric.

There was a scene where he wouldn't let her leave the bed for work that I literally had to remind myself that there were no cameras in our room documenting our own mornings. Eric did that daily.

So, if this was supposed to be a romance, it sucked, because I was feeling worse and worse the more the movie went on. And when he proposed to her, even though their relationship was falling apart, I wanted to scream at her for accepting. They weren't happy. They weren't in love. I think I cried from beginning to end. And their wedding night...And the end...

Needless to say I answered the door for Pam, with puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks, probably looking worse off than Sophie-Anne had this morning.

"Sophie-Anne's a bitch," she said as soon as she saw my face.

I wiped away my tears. "No, I'm not crying about that," I shook my head. Well, maybe a little bit. We sat down on the couch and Pam looked around at the Kleenexes I'd used to blow my nose, her face scrunched in distaste.

I heard the door open and Pam cursed at not having the chance to talk to me before Eric arrived. He looked startled to see me.

"What are you doing home...are you crying?"

Pam turned in her seat. I couldn't see the look she was giving him. "Sophie-Anne fired her."

Eric's eyes widened. "Why?"

"She found out about Quinn," Pam shrugged. He stared at her intently; I felt the friction between the cousins.

"Do you feel badly about that?" As if he was a father scolding his misbehaving child.

She sighed. "Yes, I do. I feel about it."

She 'feels about it'. What the fuck did that mean? She felt like laughing about it? "Eric I don't need you to tell her how to feel," I said indignantly. "I should have never taken the job from her is all."

Pam's eyes flashed to me. "I did you a favour. I didn't have to."

"You _didn't_ do me a favour because now, I don't have a job! You put me into a problematic situation!"

Pam's lips thinned. "I'm beginning to think you're ungrateful," she drawled.

"Damn right I am! I should have just gotten a job at a coffee shop or something," I said feeling my anger rise up.

"You can't speak the language, or did you forget?"

"No! I did not forget! I did forget that you had me lie to Sophie-Anne about John! That was completely unfair to me, Pam. Surely you understand that?"

"You just don't know me yet," Pam looked away as if she was done with this conversation.

I made a frustrated noise getting to my feet. I don't know how intimidating I looked while pregnant, but I felt fury. It probably wasn't that big of a deal, but I had to release the tension inside me on someone.

"I think you're angrier with yourself, then you are with me," Pam said. "Let's all go out for breakfast." Pam stood on her heels, moving toward the door. I looked past Eric at her.

"Um. No, I want to finish talking about this," I said, feeling the urge to stamp my foot down.

Pam smiled. "I'm not fighting with a pregnant woman, Sookie. I _apologize_."

"That's not good enough," I snapped.

"Sookie," Eric said. I walked past him close to Pam. I put a hand on the wall, while she stared at me looking a bit startled by my vigour. "Pam hardly says she's sorry."

"My pride is wounded for it," Pam looked at her cousin briefly before back at me, hardly _looking_ injured by saying that one word.

I tried to think of a way to explain why I was upset about this. Everything was piling up and I was sick of it.

"I don't care if you stole all her sexy toys and left her with nothing, I don't want another person on my back! I have enough to deal with without a vengeful Sophie-Anne," I said to her.

"She won't do anything," Pam said.

"She packed up my things. She talked to Mr. Jakobson. To me _that's something_. You said she's crazy, so what else will she do? Not only to me, but to you, or to Eric. The first night I met her she was already stirring shit up. I'm not in the mood to deal with that."

Pam rolled her eyes up at the ceiling. "Fine. What do you want me to do to fix this Sookie?"

Good question. "Tell her to back off. Tell it to her straight. Make it a nice clean cut."

She looked over at Eric behind me. "I really hate that your wife is giving me relationship advice."

"Pam."

"To be fair," she angled her body. "You haven't made a nice clean cut," she pronounced icily, "with _your_ ex."

I was sick of people bringing that up today. "Until this baby is out of me," I found myself speaking lowly, dangerously. I wanted to smack her. "It ain't going to be clean and it ain't going to be nice. And if its Bill's then there will be no cut."

She exhaled loudly, glancing at Eric over my shoulder, once again. I felt as if they were having a private conversation with their eyes and it was annoying me. "I am sorry, Sookie. I am sorry that I got you caught up into this mess," she said, her tone short as if she wasn't really. I couldn't see myself coming out on top of this argument. She was impossible. I deflated, feeling too tired to do anything about it.

"Now, will you two join me for breakfast?" Pam asked in exasperation.

"We will meet you," Eric said, nodding to Pam, who said she'd text the address. He closed the door and I went down the hall to the bedroom. I had built up all the tension that I didn't get to unleash on Pam due to her frustrating aloofness. She was so indifferent. Eric followed me. "You are okay?"

"Yes," I snapped.

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'm just really mad."

He put a hand to the back of his neck looking guilty. "I should have known. Pam is sorry though. I know she is."

"Well," I grumbled, turning to him. "Before we go to breakfast, I want you to fuck me." The words left my mouth before I could think about asking nicely.

"Angry sex?" he asked slowly, watching my face carefully.

"Whatever you want to call it, I want you between my legs."

"Sexy," he smirked. He pulled off his sweater and tossed it to the ground. I sat on the bed. "You want me to undress you?"

"Mmm," I said slowly. "I'm not horny yet, I'm still angry." I pulled my shirt off and slid my pants down along with my panties. He undid his jeans and they were at his feet. He kicked them away and advanced toward me. I lay back. He went to bend over my body, so we could kiss but I caught his face between my hands and pushed his head down.

"Oh," he said, his eyes flashing as he gripped my calves and pulled them onto the bed, spreading my legs. I shivered. His eyes widened. "I can see the baby," he said, his mouth open in mock-shock.

"Ugh!" I cried out, closing my legs immediately. He laughed, throwing his head back.

"I know I can't. But I just had this picture in my brain," he chortled.

"You ruined the mood. No sex for you," I said closing my legs completely and pulling myself under the covers.

He just sat on the floor where he used to be settled between my legs, laughing against the bed.

"Can you get my clothes for me?" I asked, pointing at where he was sitting doubled-over on my shirt.

"It's not really funny," he said, trying to compose himself.

"You're right," I scowled.

"It's very gross."

"Yeah, I don't want to think about giving birth when..." I trailed off and that only made him howl again. I threw the covers off and rifled through the drawers to find something to wear for breakfast, leaving my husband on the floor.

***

"IKEA in Sweden," I mused. "Weird..." Eric didn't understand what was so weird. We were looking at cribs today and other furniture for our new house, which had been finalized last night by a call from the real estate agent. It was weird to have a husband who _really_ wanted to look at furniture. He had impatiently tapped his foot for me to get ready fast this morning.

I remembered going to IKEA once with my brother a couple of years ago, where he promptly declared, once we had exited, that he'd never return to one again. He found the exit too maze-like, too long and too frustrating, squished with all those other people desperate to escape as well. It was a bit overwhelming, but it was also sort of fun. Now, I was with a man who could part crowds like no other.

"Hmm," Eric said. "The kids section is on this level." We walked through holding hands. It was a Saturday morning, so it was full of children screaming, laughing, playing, jumping, whining, crying, complaining...

"It's loud," I said, looking at all the little people running around. I always liked kids, but I didn't think I'd be interested in them until I was at least past twenty-five. Now, I was unimpressed.

"They're kids. Our daughter will be loud," Eric raised his eyebrows.

"If it comes out screaming, with a big mouth, it's most definitely yours," I mumbled. Eric laughed. He eagerly dragged me over to where the model rooms were and kids were jumping onto the bunk beds. There was a crib in there too. I eyed it all.

"It should be pink because we're having a girl," he informed me. The crib in here was a bright blue.

"She can like blue. Just because she's a girl doesn't mean she has to have pink – what if she doesn't like pink?" I found myself asking shortly.

Eric's brows furrowed. "Then I'll paint it another colour for her. If she doesn't like anything, I will change it for her," he stated. When he said things like that, I was always overwhelmed with this deep sense that everything would be okay. I nodded slowly and we moved away from that model and onto another. "How about this one?" It was a beautiful white wood that was smooth and sturdy. The cover and lining could be any colour, blue, pink, green, yellow...

"It's good. I like it," I said. He wrote down the bin number and we wandered some more. It was all you could do at IKEA...wander. "We should go upstairs," I said, after a little kid ran into my legs. Eric had laughed and pulled me away from their game of tag. Apparently I was in the middle of it. "Look at other furniture. You don't have a big enough book case. Gran said she's sending my books up soon and I have _a lot_."

We got to the kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom models and Eric was like the little kids downstairs, going through them.

"We should just buy this whole set, I like it."

"It's apartment size," I said. "We have a house now." He went into the kitchen and started to pretend turning on the taps.

"We could cook dinner well in here. My apartment is too small, you get in my way, woman!" He was so happy, so jovial that it reminded me of when we were on our trip. I brought myself up on one of the high stools at the kitchen island.

"What will you make me tonight, my husband?" I asked, in a posh voice, straightening up.

He winked at me over his shoulder from his spot by the sink. My heart fluttered. It was good that he could still do that. I smiled, thinking it would never stop doing that with Eric. "I will make you a turkey!"

"Do you know how to make a turkey?" I straightened up, realizing it was Thanksgiving in a couple weeks. "Hey!" I told him about it.

He frowned. "We don't celebrate that here," he said, shaking his head, turning to me, pretending to wash a pot. I shook my head at him, but felt sad about that. About how I wouldn't be seeing Gran or Jason, or even Crystal on my favourite holiday. "I thought Thanksgiving was in October."

"Nope, that's Canada, I think," I said, a bit sadly.

"Oh, October is better," he nodded, opening up some cabinets. "Thanksgiving is too close to Christmas. I like holidays to be spread out. Like in early spring you can have Easter."

"Well it's in November," I said. "It's always been in November."

I put my hand flat on the granite counter, caressing it, when I looked up he was staring at me, his arms crossed, leaning against the dishwasher. "We can have Thanksgiving. Turkey? I can kill one myself for you, if you want."

"What?" I balked.

"I hunt. I have a cabin," he said. "Way North. My dad used to hunt. It's very cold. I can take you. It's on a lake," he said nodding. "I can get you a fresh turkey, they're everywhere, and then we can make a big Thanksgiving."

I was silent for a moment. "Can you kill animals with your bare hands," I teased.

He shrugged. "I have."

My eyes widened. I didn't know what to say for a while. "Let's look at bedrooms, yeah?" I hopped off the stool and took his hand – his killer-hands, and moved through the kitchen to the bedroom set.

When we reached the end of our shopping excursion, I got one of those long carts to carry the items we planned on getting as we walked through the warehouse. We found the aisle for the crib.

"Um, it's up there!" I said to the shelf that was far too high for anyone who wasn't Eric. He pulled down the long, flat box and I wished he wasn't wearing his winter jacket because I would have loved to see his arms flexed. He put it on the cart and gave me a grin. I _did_ catch some skin when he reached and his jacket hitched up. That was enough for now.

We got a couple bookshelves too and agreed to do some more serious shopping when we moved into our new house next month. We had a lot of packing to do.

We left and got some grocery shopping done. Felicia was coming over tonight and we had to start dinner soon. Eric was very fidgety once we got home and Felicia's arrival approached fast. He was very uncomfortable with this situation. I kissed him on the cheek and rubbed his back reassuringly.

"Don't speak Swedish in front of me," I requested, remembering how awkward and annoying it was that last time. "And no breaking things. And no fights. If she irritates you, then just leave. I won't kick her out, but if it gets bad, I'll be the one to suggest it's her time. I don't want to follow your example. That was unnecessary."

He turned his head and pressed his lips to my hair before returning to his vegetable prep. "I will throw her out on her ass if she makes you cry," he whispered harshly. I nodded, knowing it was no use arguing with him about that.

Soon, the small apartment smelt like the steak we were making. Eric had jumped into the shower when the phone rang. I answered it and buzzed Felicia up. She was a bit early. I frowned. I answered the door and tried to put on my best smile, but it probably just looked crazy. She looked like she tried too hard to be presentable, when she was in no mood for company.

"Oh," Felicia said glancing down at my stomach. Had I not told her? Didn't Eric squeeze that in when they had their screaming match two months ago?

"Come in," I said. Yep. Crazy smile.

"Are you...?" she trailed off her eyes on my stomach. I didn't have much of a bump, but I guess the top I was wearing was rather revealing. Also if my massive expansion in breast size didn't tip someone off...

"Oh," I put a hand to my stomach. "Yeah."

There was an awkward pause. "You were pregnant last month?" she asked dumbly, floored by the revelation.

I nodded. "Come further in, into the kitchen. We're making steak."

She followed me and sat at the kitchen table, where I was bustling around finishing up with the food. She watched me while I tried to look for something to do, but everything was fine now. Dinner should be ready in a half hour. I finally sat down across from her, feeling nervous.

"Eric was really mad," she stared at the plate in front of her. "You were pregnant and I dragged you into that...Anders thing."

I looked away from her guilty expression. "Well, you're safe now. So, it's..." It wasn't fine. But if I wasn't there he might have killed her. "How are you? About it all," I added lamely, not sure how to talk to someone in the situation she was in.

She looked sad. "I don't really want to...Not now. Okay? Someday," she nodded, straightening up.

"Okay," I said softly. Somehow I had managed to change the topic into something much nicer. She had loosened up and we were having a great talk, until it went silent and I turned from the oven to see Eric standing there, his hair still wet from his shower.

"Hi, Eric," Felicia said, looking completely different then from when we were talking one-on-one. I looked nervously at Eric, wondering how much of an ass he was going to be. He hadn't seen Felicia since the day they had the fight here in the apartment and she had stormed out.

He nodded stiffly, walked over to me and kissed my forehead, standing behind me, his hand on my waist. He pressed his mouth to my hair and I tried to turn back to the vegetables but he was sort of in my way. I didn't know what the hell he was doing.

"Eric, can I say something?" Felicia asked. I put my hand on top of his, over my bump and squeezed it. I looked up at him, and he caught my eye. I hoped he could read my mind to be nice. He sighed quietly in my ear and let me go to sit with Felicia at the table. "I didn't know Sookie was pregnant. I should have been – I really am sorry about what happened," she said. I looked over to see him leaning back in the chair, his leg extended out, whereas Felicia was huddled into herself, keeping her limbs close to her body. "It's my fault. I hate myself for putting her in that kind of danger."

"Why did you?"

Be nice, be nice. I started to put the carrots into a bowl, ready to serve the food.

"I wanted _you_ to come. I was scared and Anders...well you know how he is. I thought it would have –"

"Hmm, you're lucky Sookie answered. If I were there I would have hung up on you and you probably would have been killed. I have no time for you, Felicia," he answered. I closed my eyes at his harshness. "I only care about Sookie and our daughter." Oh, well that was nice and all, but you're talking to a rape victim. "You know the kind of man Anders is. I'm not his friend anymore because of it. You did this for attention and to mess with my head. Just like with the pregnancy that you lied about."

My eyes widened and I whipped around to see Felicia crying. Eric, you stupid son of a –

She was silent. "I know. I'm sorry," she sobbed. This was the worst dinner date ever. I put the potatoes on a plate, peeling off the tinfoil. That made a lot of noise over the crying. The steaks were ready, everything was ready but I was refraining from going over to the table where Eric was hard and still, watching his ex-girlfriend cry. "Will you ever forgive me?"

Eric stood up, the chair scraping against the wood floor. He walked over to where I was standing, uselessly and began taking the food over to the table. I started to too.

"Sookie is a good cook," he said, looming over the table. I brought the wine, feeling so incredibly awkward with the situation. I poured her a glass and she nodded her appreciation, unable to form words, she did take a big gulp. Eric waited until I sat down first, between the two of them.

I had my ginger ale. Eric poured himself a glass of wine too. He served the two of us. Felicia wiped her eyes. I wanted to say something, but it was still unresolved between the two of them. So I waited.

"I want to make something clear," Eric said, before he started to eat. Felicia nodded, looking up, her eyes glassy and hopeful. I felt a lump form in my own throat. I hated watching people cry, it always made my eyes water along with them. "If you hurt Sookie, whether it has to do with your shit, or if it's her feelings, or if it's anything to do with the baby..." he trailed off, I saw his eyes blaze and I found my gaze drop to his killer-hands.

"I know!" she blurted, not wanting to hear a death threat anymore than I did. "I know. I won't ever – I'm so sorry, Eric, Sookie. I just – I just want..."

I grabbed her hand that was resting on the table. "I will be your friend," I said. That sounded weird to say. Like I was convincing myself, and maybe I was a little. "Eric is protective."

She smiled blinking away the tears. "I see that. I've never – I never knew he could be like this. He really loves you," she gave me a genuine look. I looked over at Eric and I hoped my own smile would calm him down a bit.

He was glaring at Felicia, his eyes careful. "I do love Sookie. I never have before her," he said clearly. Him and his stupid mouth, did he have to make her feel worse about herself?

"I know, I hope this will work out," she said.

"We'll try," I said before Eric could shoot her down again. "Let's eat up before it gets cold."

When we finally said goodbye to Felicia a couple hours, I thought it was safe to say that was a bust. I looked at Eric who stared at me briefly before heading to the bedroom. I leaned against the door frame, watching him undress. He was getting used to going to sleep early with me.

"Just wait until Bill gets here," I muttered. He turned around, not looking amused with that statement. I raised my eyebrows, knowing that was nothing he could argue about.

**"GRAB MY HAND!" "I CAN'T -- YOUR HANDS ALL SWEATY!" "THEN REVIEW!" *Harry Potter nerd* Nobody probably got that. Oh well.**


	8. Keep Your Hands Off My Baby

**AN: I think this is my favourite chapter so far. I really like it. Thanks for all your support. I am THIS close to finishing exams and also THIS close to finishing this story. Only 2 chapters left. OMG. I think Euro!Eric and I need a break. He's been very weird to me through this story, so we'll see about a future sequel. I don't think I could ever say goodbye completely to Euro!Eric so I might update _The Fool on the Hill_ with little one-shots or something. I donno. So, thank you thank you thank you once again. And yes, I DID use another Harry Potter quote because I'm THAT much of a nerd. You guys rock my socks.**

_"Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business._

_Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git._

_Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor._

_Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball."_  
— J.K. Rowling, _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_

Chapter 8: Keep Your Hands off My Baby

"You excited about finding out the sex of the baby?" I leaned into him as we waited in the doctor's office. Eric just tapped his nose, still convinced it was a girl. It was ten days before Christmas and we were crazy enough to be officially moving into our new house tomorrow. It was becoming a bit overwhelming with the baby stuff, my stomach growing, packing, moving, shopping for the house and for Christmas...but it would work out in the end. I was stressed. Eric was calm. Like always.

Our doctor was a rather grumpy older man who always looked like he was scowling. When we were looking for a doctor, he had cracked a smile when I had made a joke and it was so sweet and so genuine that he had my heart and my baby. If that made sense. I didn't mind that he always looked miserable. The doctor gave me a minute while I pulled off my pants and put the gown at my waist, under the bump. I hopped up, pulling my shirt under my breasts and shivered when the gel was squirted on my belly so we could see the baby.

The ultra-sound commenced and we both watched the screen in fascination. There was the head!

"That's an arm. Would you like to know the sex?" he asked, gruffly, on top of his accent.

"Sure," I said, feeling nervous about it – for Eric. Even though my husband was smug as a clam, I watched his face instead of the screen.

"Oh, well, it looks like you'll be having a boy," our doctor said. My heart dropped and so did Eric's expression.

"What?" Eric asked flatly. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"Mmhmm," the doctor said absently. He saw our expressions. "I will leave for a minute."

"How correct is that?" Eric asked pointing at the machine, which was frozen on a picture of the baby boy growing in my stomach.

"Ah," the doctor took off his glasses and cleaned them. I felt like Eric would say it's still a girl because the doctor had glasses and could be blind. "Anywhere from ninety-five to a hundred percent accurate."

"That's pretty high, baby," I held his hand tighter.

"No, it's a girl."

The doctor made a face before shrugging. "It could be. I could look again next time you come here."

Eric glared. "No, I don't need you to tell me."

"I could show you what looks to be testicles – it could be the baby's position too..." he trailed off.

"This is ridiculous, Sookie," Eric said looking at me. "We don't want to know, that's fine."

I gave the doctor an apologetic look. He seemed unfazed. He probably had parents freaking out on him all the time. "Baby, we already know," I said, trying to soothe him. Eric did his lifty-shoulder thing. The rest of the appointment went by tensely thanks to my husband and when we exited, Eric refused to talk about it anymore.

***

"Eric said it was a girl," Pam's brows furrowed. The next set of movers slipped in and I directed them to the living room and where to put the couch. Pam followed me, not helping with the moving at all, which I was fine with. She was in heels and didn't know where I wanted things. Every time I tried to lift something Eric would stop it.

"The doctor said it was a boy, but shh, don't say anything, he's very sensitive about it," I told her waving my hand wildly when Eric walked into the house, helping lift the head board for our bed. He winked at me and I watched his arms as he went up the stairs, having ditched his jacket because he was too hot with all the lifting. It was snowing outside and I still had my jacket on _indoors_ with all the people moving in and out. I went to the truck while Eric was upstairs and started bringing in the boxes. I wanted all these people out and it just be me and Eric.

Plus, him moving things was hot and I had some ideas on christening our new room.

"Sookie put the box down. Pam, take it from her," Eric scowled coming down the stairs. Pam did not move to take it from me at all.

"It's fine, Eric," I stressed. He grabbed the box and I held on. He tugged it giving me an odd look. "Let go, you big freak," I said, turning sharply. He huffed noisily before heading back to the truck as I put the box in the dining room. It was empty. We had ordered a lot of stuff from IKEA and went to a lot of other furniture stores as we filled out our empty house. The nursery would be my top priority. I didn't have a job anymore, so I sort of saw it as my project.

I was getting real tired. We got up at five just so we could spend the whole day moving our stuff in. It was almost dinner time and we were finishing up the last of the things Gran had sent up from Bon Temps. I had gotten a lot about two weeks ago. We had put it in storage until now. When we said goodbye to Pam and the movers, we both did a collective sigh of relief. We went upstairs to our room, at seven thirty, both beyond exhausted. Our bed was the only thing really set up. I had done some washing of our sheets at Pam's yesterday as we both set the bed. It was empty and cold in our room. I couldn't wait to make it more comfortable. I was about ready to fall onto the bed and I could see Eric was too. We moved sluggishly around the king size as he lifted the mattress to get the covers on properly. When it was all made we looked at it longingly.

I was still cold and had only just discarded my jacket. Eric stripped off his dirty clothes and I did too. We fell into bed, my head on his chest, his arm around me; we let out groans of satisfaction, being snuggled.

"I've wanted to get in your pants all day," I muttered, my hand wandering down to his flaccid cock.

"So sleepy," he uttered. "We should have fucked in the bathroom after our pizza lunch."

"I'm not that..." I yawned. "Bendable anymore. That sounds like a lot of effort."

I heard him sigh and I fell asleep.

The next thing I knew, my hand was resting against a hard cock and Eric was kissing my hair. "I'm ready now."

"Next day," I grumbled.

"Twelve hours later," he chuckled in my ear.

"You're not lifting anymore," I complained, still not opening my eyes.

"I will lift for you now if you want," he scooted from under me and I snuggled closer to his pillow, feeling the morning chill. I heard his feet on the wood floors as he left the bedroom. It was weird having so much more room, where we had a downstairs. I heard him, the floor creaking. I smiled slightly. Eric's apartment had been so new, but I was raised in an old farmhouse. I loved the creaks and random noises.

I heard him fast approaching the bedroom and he nudged the door I heard a bang and an "Oops" from him. I was still too tired to actually see what he was doing.

"Look at me, Sookie," he said. I moaned and opened an eye, wiping away the sleep.

"What are you doing?" I sat up straighter, pulling the blankets up to my shoulder. Eric stood there with a box that was heavy, I deduced based on his arm muscles, flexing. He lifted it over his head. I snorted. "Calm down there Thor, the hammer is already looking strong." I eyed his erection.

"Ignore the hammer, look at my arms. I'm lifting," he had the funniest grin on his face and I was laughing at him, rolling around on the bed, my stomach hurting so hard as he continued, ignoring my hysteria. "Do they make you sexy?"

I held onto my stomach, laughing and laughing when I felt something. I jumped. "Oh!" I said, my eyes widening. Eric stopped his lifting and stared at me, looking serious, and his smile gone.

"What?"

"I think..." There! Again! "The baby is kicking!" I beamed. He dropped the box with a loud thump and jumped onto the bed beside me putting his hand on my stomach. His eyes widened as they travelled over my bump.

"It's not kicking," he whispered, as if he didn't want the baby to hear. I smiled, biting my lower lip, putting my hands on top of his.

"Talk to it," I whispered back, watching his face.

He was frozen for a moment before he put his lips to the baby and blew a raspberry. I squealed and felt the baby kick Eric in the mouth. He jolted, his eyes bugging out.

"The baby!" he said loudly, almost in disbelief. I was so completely giddy. "That's our daughter." I wasn't going to correct him. I was too happy and so was he.

I pushed at his chin and he brought his lips to mine, our hands entwined on top of the bump. The baby kicked one last time and he smiled against my lips. I pulled him to go on top of me.

"Baby," he said against my lips.

"Fuck me," I said. He had his hand on my stomach still.

"Baby is here."

I pulled back. "Baby's always been here." Which was true.

He stared into my eyes. "But now it's _here_ here. Between us."

I blinked at him. "You're saying no to sex with me?"

He looked just as shocked as me.

"You're still hard."

"You could blow me."

I hit his chest. I got out of bed despite it being cold and went into the washroom off our bedroom.

"It's weird, Sookie!" he called out to me through the door. I rolled my eyes. I might as well go pee since I'd probably have to go again in another twenty minutes or so. When I was done, I leaned against the door staring at him stretched out across the bed.

"People have sex while pregnant all the time," I reminded him.

He gave me a look. "Alright, hop on," he said. I smiled and he returned one as I got onto the bed and straddled his lap. He sat up and we kissed. He hardened against my bottom. "Mmm," his chest vibrated.

"You better get it while you can," I said.

"Okay," he said slowly, his tongue begging to enter my mouth. The baby kicked again and he froze.

"Ignore it," I said slowly. He nodded and continued the kiss. The baby had slowed his kicking and as glad as I was at feeling him for the first time, because now I was getting some action, I also wished it nudged a bit more. I liked knowing, _feeling_ the baby as a part of me. I was wrapped in my husband's arms, and my legs locked behind his back, my heels at his ass. The bump was a little bit in the way. He leaned back slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing, one hand at my waist, the other on the bed for balance. He entered me and my breath caught in my throat. The baby kicked against Eric's stomach and he looked really freaked out. I smiled at him.

"This feels wrong," he mumbled.

"You've never said that before," I moved against him.

"Now there are three here."

"Shut up," I said, closing my eyes. He moved his hand to the small of my back. I noticed he was barely responding. "Eric," I groaned in frustration.

"I might go too hard," he said. I stopped. He looked at me, smiling weakly. "I'm sorry."

I huffed, rolling off him and lying on my back, Eric propped himself on an elbow, his hand gently caressing my stomach.

"I'll get used to it soon," he spoke softly.

"Are you unwilling to do anything?" I asked in disbelief. I saw his flaccid member and rolled my eyes. I grabbed his hand and pushed it to my throbbing center. I was so unbelievably horny. The hormones were out of control this past week and he was just going to stop because he felt the baby? He looked as if he was considering it. He moved his hand slightly, dipping inside. I lifted my hips and found myself letting out a shout of anger when he pulled his hand back.

"That'd be like trying to touch the baby _inside_."

I blinked at him, not understanding his logic. "Fine," I said, sitting up against the pillows. He eyed me curiously. I raised an eyebrow and let my own hand delve between my legs. "I thought the point of having a husband was not having to do this by myself anymore," I sighed as I slipped a finger into my wet folds. He watched me, his eyes clouding with lust already and his dick sprang back to life. I used my thumb to rub my numb and Eric instinctively grabbed his growing cock. "Oh so this is alright?" I breathed. He nodded numbly watching me. His other hand moved from my bump over to my breasts. He let go of his cock and reached back to the nightstand where my cocoa-butter lotion was. He squirted some on his hand. "You're the expert aren't you?"

"Years," he nodded, stroking his erection, watching me. "I can probably do this better than you," he nodded at his hand moving up and down on his cock.

"Thanks."

"I prefer you. It's lonely by myself," he pinched my nipple and I put another finger inside, gasping as I searched for my spot. "Have you ever done this before Sookie?" he looked down at me.

I bit my lower lip, a blush coming to my cheeks. "Sorta?" He smiled, sitting up, still stroking himself. He took my wrist and began directing. "Isn't this too close for you?"

We let out a moan at the exact same time. His hands just felt better down there. "You are making me sad. You need to learn. We'll do this better when the baby is born."

"Or when you get your balls back and fuck me."

He tugged his erection pointedly, groaning, eyeing me. "Go deeper," he told me huskily. I pushed my fingers farther up, gasping. Eric leaned his head against mine, while he slowed down his strokes. I reached down with my free hand and grabbed his dick. He let out a throaty noise. "I prefer you, min Älskling."

"Good," I breathed, moving my hand in and out.

"Did you find your g-spot?" he grunted in my ear, as both our hands stroked his sizable cock.

"Find it for me," I moaned. My hand went to his balls and he sucked in sharply. He gripped his cock tightly. I was so wet and I pushed my fingers in further, missing his larger ones. "Eric," I begged. His mouth went down to my nipple and he pulled it between his teeth, his tongue swirling around it, the jolt going right to my center. I pushed at his tight balls and he grunted against my breast, bucking in his hand and mine.

"Sookie."

"I want you inside me," I rasped. He rolled onto his back and helped me onto his length, where I slowly lowered onto him. I cried out softly. His hands went up to my breasts and he kneaded them, throwing his head back, groaning loudly when I rocked against him. I put my hands on his chest for leverage and moved up and down, feeling the pressure building. I was already on the verge of release after less than a dozen strokes. "Eric," was all I could say, feeling his massive size, hitting the spot I was too afraid to reach, repeatedly. His hand moved from my breast down to my nub where he pushed hard and I was undone, shaking on top of him. He rolled us over while I was having my moment and continued his thrust, seemingly, forgetting about the baby. Soon he wouldn't be able to be on top, my belly would be huge.

He thrust hard and I shouted at feeling his pelvis slam into mine, his length getting bigger, my walls clamping down on him. The headboard slammed into the wall and the bed swayed and I wondered if Eric had set it up properly. He was shouting in Swedish thrusting harder and harder my head spinning as my leg tried to go around his waist. I wanted him deeper. I lifted my hips every time he'd slam into me, my head falling back, my neck exposed as he kissed it, biting, dragging his tongue along it. He grunted, groaned, moaned, shook – "Fuck, Sookie," he growled. "Fuck, I love you." My heart was hammering just like his cock into my pussy, again and again. I couldn't get a noise out; the breath was being knocked straight out of me.

"Gah!" was all I could get out as he slowed down for a moment, his thrust still hard, just not as fast. He was trying to hold on, waiting for me to orgasm.

"Fucking come, Sookie," he practically whimpered. Ugh. I was close. Ugh.

"Eric," I cried out. I reached between us and grabbed his balls. He let out a strangled yell. His arms shaking beside my head, his eyes closed tight as he pounded into me once – twice – three – I gasped in all the air around me as I writhed underneath him, letting out a sob, drowning in his smell, his sweat, his size – he bellowed as he came hard, falling to the side, shuddering.

A little while later, we started breakfast with the eggs, bread and cheese we had – the only food we stocked so far. Afterwards we began to organize the boxes. The big furniture was in place but we had so much more to unpack and assemble.

There was a lot to be done before the baby was born.

***

"Ow, little bugger," I gasped putting a hand to my stomach. I was far along now, into the month of March a little more than a month away from the due date. He had just kicked me in the ribs for the third time in the exact same spot.

"I have to say," Pam said, lounging, skinny and comfortably on the couch. I sat up in the armchair trying to straighten the kid away from my ribs. "I'm so excited to meet boring Bill."

Eric came into the living room with a glass of wine for his cousin and a glass of ginger ale for me. "Thanks baby," I mumbled. I couldn't help but feel guilty when I thought of Bill. "I think we should have picked him up at the airport," I said worriedly to Eric, glancing out into the Swedish snowstorm. "The flight landed?"

"Yes," Eric said, sitting down beside Pam. "I just checked. The taxi will get him here. It's just normal snow now." I always thought winter slowed down when it was a week from spring. "Don't worry about him," Eric said. I could hear the small trace of irritability in his tone. The closer I got to the due date the more anxious I got. The sooner I would find out that maybe Bill _was _the father. I think the baby kicked at my nerves.

"He won't stop," I said, putting a hand to my belly, not in the mood for its wildness. I saw Eric pout into his drink as I mentioned that the baby was a 'he'. I'm sorry, but I had accepted that I was having a son. Especially since last week.

I was being weighed by the nurse. I didn't want Eric to look at my weight so he stared at the wall and I looked up at the ceiling, hating at all the pounds I gained. "So is this the first grandson?"

I glanced at my husband who looked completely offended. "Well," I said putting a hand onto my stomach. "No, it's not." My brother's wife had their first child, a boy, back in early January. Plus, Eric and I had no parents so this baby would be a great-grandson.

"He'll be a lady charmer that's for sure," I saw her blush at Eric. I rolled my eyes. Eric didn't even notice her.

He did notice, right now, my tapping foot and my apparent anxiety over Bill in that snow storm.

"Sookie," he said pointedly. "He's not a child. He can get here on his own." Eric hated that Bill was coming. He hated that I had invited him for dinner. Which reminded me, I had to tend to the roast in the oven. I tried to get up and I heard Pam snort.

"Shut up," I said at her. Eric moved to get up. "Sit back down." We had had a fight this morning when I insisted on making the dinner. I liked to cook and I knew Bill liked my cooking. I heaved onto my feet and moved with purpose into the kitchen.

"Do you need help?" he called out.

"Not yet," I said. There was a knock on the door and I dropped the oven mitts heading down the hall toward, but Eric beat me to it.

"Felicia," he said flatly.

"Sorry I'm a bit late. The storm," she laughed lightly as Eric let her in. He didn't say anything else, just went into the living room. He _really_ didn't like that she'd become a good friend to me. At least he didn't try and kick her out after she visited for more than three hours. He had kicked that nasty habit about a month ago when I freaked out on him.

"Its fine, Bill's not even here yet," I said from the kitchen.

"It smells good," she said, walking past the stairs and living room to where I was in our kitchen. She sat down on a stool at the island. The living room was silent. I knew Eric was listening and probably shushing Pam who was probably rolling her eyes at him. "I gotta say. I'm excited to meet this Bill." Her interest was much like Pam's. They wanted to see the conflict between him and Eric. They also meant to size him up I'm sure.

"He's nothing special," I shrugged, saying it louder for Eric. I winked at Felicia and she giggled. I pulled the roast out, struggling with the bending over bit.

"You need help?" Felicia asked peering over the counter.

"No," I wheezed, straightening up and putting the roast on top of the stove. Eric entered the kitchen at Felicia's concern. "I'm good," I said to both of them.

"Sookie, let me help," Eric said, frustrated. He walked over, nudging me away. I was so tired from the thick aroma of the food that I just walked away.

I nearly laughed at Eric when there was another knock on the door, signalling Bill's arrival. Eric was pre-occupied with the food as I waddled as fast as I could to the front of the house. I opened the door to the cold and shivered. There was my ex-boyfriend not wearing the appropriate clothes for a winter in Scandinavia after living in Louisiana all his life.

"Hi," his teeth chattered and I stepped aside to let him in. He looked at my ever-growing stomach a little stunned as he remembered to take off his thin gloves.

"Hi," I said, unsure what else to say. "Crazy out there, huh?" Eric left the kitchen and advanced down the hall where he stood behind me, his hand on my shoulder. I had prepared myself for his crazy possessiveness.

"I am," his brown eyes went from my stomach to the Swede behind me. "Unused to it."

There was a short pause where the situation seemed all too clear to the three of us. "Eric get his coat," I said, feeling my Southern manners loud and clear. "Dinner should be ready soon." I liked having a house that I could welcome people into – even if it was my maybe-father of my child. Eric was not pleased. Bill took off his shoes and I invited him into the living room.

"This is Eric's cousin, Pam," I said. Pam stood up and took his hand strongly. Bill looked surprised.

"I am so glad I finally get to meet you," she flashed her perfectly white and straight teeth.

"Oh, yes, of course," Bill said as I showed him to Felicia. I excused myself to get dinner ready and Eric followed. I asked Eric to get the plates and start setting the table.

"I forgot how much I hate him," Eric said in my ear as he passed by.

"Don't say that. It's a very strong word," I looked over at him, feeling guilty at what I was putting him and Bill through.

Eric grumbled and went into the dining room.

Soon, we were all seated around the table enjoying the food. Pam made the tension less awkward with her sexcapade stories that I had grown used to over the past few months and I actually looked forward to some of them. They were a good laugh. Felicia was very kind and warm to Bill and I wondered if that was a pointed action to Eric. He just sat there, miserable, glaring at Bill. Every time I tried to talk to my former boyfriend, Eric would get annoyed and I'd find myself stopping, wondering if it were possible to get a moment alone with Bill to just talk.

"So, Bill," Pam started when Eric and I began to clear the table. Felicia and Bill had stood up to help, but he paused when Pam addressed him. I shot Eric a warning look for his cousin to be nice, but he hardly glanced at me as he went into the kitchen, taking the plates in my hand for me. Bastard. "How do you feel about all this?" she lazily threw her hand about the room and I sat down slowly, the only way I could.

"Pam." I was comfortable enough with her that if I kicked her out, I knew there would be no hard feelings. I would not tolerate rudeness to guests in my house. I felt like Gran for a moment.

Bill was torn between continuing bringing things to the kitchen or sitting back down. Eric came in and relieved both him and Felicia of the dishes they had, smirking at Bill being interrogated by Pam.

"Um," he sat down slowly. "Sweden is..." I saw him glance out the window at the howling wind and blizzard. "It's beautiful country."

"What do you do back in Bon Temps?" she asked, sipping her wine, while looking intimidating as hell. Bill shifted, giving me a look. I smiled reassuringly, although it was forced.

"I work at a technical support center," he answered, properly, his Southern manners coming through.

"So you deal with computers?" Pam asked, looking as if everything made sense. "You and machines, all day long. No human contact."

"I have colleagues," he said. I wish I could drink. I really did. Eric finally settled back in his seat. Pam seemed to be losing interest fast.

"What do you do for fun?" she asked.

"Fun," Bill said. He wasn't the most risk-taking guy. I didn't look at Eric in that moment, even though I felt his eyes bore holes into my head. "Well. I have a Wii. I usually play that after a long day at work, to relax."

I _heard_ Eric open his mouth I was so in tune with him. "You do _that_ to relax? Why don't you just fuck?"

I blushed fiercely, putting my head down, embarrassed. I wanted to kick his shin, but I was wearing socks. It wouldn't do any good. Bill was speechless. I felt Eric tense and I just _knew_ Bill had glanced at me pointedly.

"Alright," Felicia stood up at the table. "Bill how about I drive you back to your hotel before it gets too crazy outside."

"And then we could all have a slumber party here," Pam jeered.

Eric and I walked the three of them to the door, saying goodbye to our guests. When the door was closed and we were trapped in our warm house, I glared at him.

"Are you going to be like this for the next month?" I asked, not amused at all by his behaviour.

"Yes, I will," he crossed his arms, broadening his shoulders. Why he was doing Alpha male posturing now was beyond me.

"Well, stop it. It's ridiculous. I don't care for it," I snapped, waddling away from him to get a glass of water and retreat to bed. I went to the tap and I knew he was watching me.

"You think he's the father, don't you?" his voice carried across, deafening, despite the fact there was a storm going on outside.

I put the water down and turned off the tap. I turned to him. "I don't know who the father is, Eric."

His jaw tightened. "I want you to tell me what you really think. Who you _really_ think the father is."

"Eric," I sighed, putting a hand to my head. "Why are you doing this to me now?"

"Because now he's here!" he roared. I flinched at his volume.

"Stop it, please," I said. "I know you feel threatened."

"No," Eric shook his head and began to pace around the island. "I shouldn't feel threatened. What is he? Some small, clipped man who thinks he fathered your child and so he comes and interferes in _our_ life so he can screw with your head and mess with my baby?" I backed into the counter, staring at my husband in disbelief.

"Why are you doing this now?" I asked again. Was he finally freaking out about being a father? Had it taken him eight months for it all to sink in? The responsibility? The possibility?

"I saw the way you looked at him. You've been excited for weeks. It's because you want to see what he'll be like – as a father," his voice was low, his expression dark as he advanced toward me.

I held my ground feeling too pissed off with his attitude to take him seriously. "I think you've had too much to drink. You can sleep on the couch. Goodnight." I turned from him but he grabbed my arm, twirling me around to face him. "Eric," I said slowly. "Get your hands off me. Think. Let me go. And sleep on the couch." He stared at me, I could see the pain in his eyes and I knew that it had finally caught up to his careless ways. My heart sank just as he let go of me. I turned, forgetting about my water and heading upstairs, slamming the bedroom door pointedly.

When I woke up the next morning, Eric was at my feet. I looked around wildly when I realized I was sitting in the rocking chair in the baby's room. I must have gone here at some point last night.

"I'm sorry," he said, grabbing my hand. I looked at him. The morning sun was breaking through the blinds, no trace of the wild storm last night. He looked terrible.

I put a hand to his cheek and he leaned forward putting his earl to my belly. "Did you sleep last night?"

I looked down at the ground and saw a pillow right by the chair I sat in. He had slept by my feet. I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling too emotional. This pregnancy had been a bitch to my hormones. The baby kicked at his face. I heard him sigh, contentedly.

"I don't appreciate how you treated me last night," I said. "What you said was hurtful."

He turned his head and kissed the baby's kicks. He looked up. "I didn't mean it."

"I think you did," I said. "I think you're finally worried that perhaps, this baby isn't yours."

"I had a dream," he said. I heard his voice crack and that made me break down.

I inhaled shakily. "And that dream also told you your having a little girl," I said. "And we're not."

His deep, sapphire eyes moved with an emotion that tore into my heart. He reached out and brushed away the tears. "I love you. I want you to know that," he said slowly, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

"I want you to be here for me. I want the baby to know you. I don't want you to leave me," I was saying.

"Shh, Sookie," he sat on his knees pulling me and I put my head in the crook of his neck. "I won't. I could never. I'd rather kill Bill then have him get between us."

I laughed slightly. "The baby's coming soon," I whispered, my tears getting his neck wet.

"Yes," he put a hand on my massive bump. "I'll be here. I hate that I have to reassure you. But I do." He kissed it again and I tried to calm down my wild heart, leaning back in the rocking chair with Eric warming my legs.

**YO YO YO I gots this YO-YO. WHAT DO YOU GOTS? A REVIEW? FOR ME? *blushes* Here's the yo-yo if you give me a review. **

**NOTE: I cannot give all of you guys a yo-yo. I'd like to, but I am poor and yo-yo's are out of style.  
**


	9. Happy, Happy Birthday Baby

**AN: So one more chapter and it's bye bye to Euro!Eric!! BYE EURO!ERIC!!!**

**This is his POV.**

**P.S: I'M DONE SCHOOL! WOOOO! (Until my summer class in three weeks)**

**Thanks to my beta: beatlechickstep!  
**

_"As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment."_  
— John Steinbeck, _Of Mice and Men_

Chapter 9: Happy, Happy Birthday Baby

Who the fuck was knocking on our door at seven-thirty in the morning? I jumped out of bed as silently as I could, trying not to wake Sookie. She had only just gotten to sleep after struggling with it all night. I was cursing whoever was knocking on our door. If it was Bill I was more than willing to shove his face in the pavement. The snow may have cleared but now we had some nice scratchy asphalt. I whipped open the door, feeling disoriented and pissed. Felicia was standing on the other side wringing her hands together, looking all together nervous.

I blinked at her. "My wife _just_ fell asleep," I said in Swedish. "If you think you can do this when we have a baby too, then you're sorely mistaken. Say it quick before I shut the door in your face."

"I...have to talk to Sookie...and you." She invited herself in. Oh for fuck's sake. I just wanted to get back to bed. I had only come in from work a few hours ago to find Sookie still awake. I had stayed up with her until she was soundless. Which was about two hours ago. I yawned.

"Now?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Me fucking neither," I mumbled walking into the kitchen. She followed, insisting on pestering me.

"Do you have coffee?" she asked.

"Seriously?" I turned on the machine. "You come here, at the crack of dawn, wake me up all for free coffee?" I was not in the mood for this. I wasn't easy to deal with in the morning, unless I woke up next to Sookie well-rested.

"Eric, it's serious to me. Sookie has been a really good friend and actually," she looked over her shoulder. "I think it'd be best if I told you first and then you can maybe tell me how to tell Sookie. I don't think you'll be as...hurt."

I peered at her carefully until horrid realization washed over me. This is just what I needed. "Don't fuck Bill anymore," I said. She jumped slightly at my remark. "Fuck you, Felicia." I turned back and made the coffee.

"I didn't mean to, but a few weeks ago when I took him home, in the blizzard – it just happened."

"And it happened again and again. See this is the manipulation I warned you about. I said if you hurt her..."

"I know, I know," she put her head in her hands. "I'm trying, I really am. Sookie's the first real friend I've ever had. Pam is not a very good one, as you may know."

I whipped around at her, feeling my anger increasing ten-fold. "You know why you don't have any friends Felicia? Because you do shit like this," I hissed at her. "I _can't_ believe you did this. No, you know what, I can." I rubbed my forehead. It was too early in the morning for this. I felt rage go through me. I was about ready to lose control. I cleared my throat. "I'll be back," I said through clenched teeth. I went upstairs to our bedroom where Sookie was actually waking, sitting up properly in bed.

"Good morning, baby," she smiled. Oh, looked like a good day. "The baby's been kicking for like the past five minutes." I crawled beside her in bed, immediately calming down. I grabbed her hand and kissed it. "You didn't get much sleep. I can make you breakfast and you can nap," her hand went to my hair pushing it back and I forgot about Felicia as I just basked in Sookie's warmth.

"I should make you breakfast," I yawned. "Felicia's downstairs."

"Speak English, sweetie," she said. Oh, right. I repeated it for her. "Why's she here?"

"She's made me mad. If I stay down with her I might..." I didn't know what I'd do, but it would not be pretty. "With you, I'm better," I kissed her fingers.

"Eric, you can't just leave a guest downstairs like that," she said whipping off the covers. The baby was due in twelve days now, so I was extra careful. Being at work now was torture because I kept worrying about her here alone. Speaking of work, I had to go in early today and Sookie was having dinner with Bill. They had already had a couple 'dates' and it was driving me insane. I helped her out of bed and she went to say hello to Felicia. God knows how long that'd happiness last. If I kept it from her, it would be worse later, but I was worried about what this would mean for her.

I followed closely behind and Sookie beamed at Felicia. She was awfully cheerful for a woman so close to her due date. Although, when I came home last night she was bitching and complaining about the baby and how she just wanted to sleep.

"You're here a bit early. I'll make breakfast. Anything you feel like?" Sookie asked. She'd been a nightmare for the past couple weeks and now all of a sudden she was happy to be huge and pregnant and so close to freedom. Except, maybe not exactly _freedom_. We had about another seventeen years of that. And all our other future children.

The baby. I didn't want to think about that too much. I hadn't been doing so well with it since Bill came here. The reality that she thought it was a boy and I was sure she thought Bill was the father, was eating me up inside.

Felicia was spazzing out. After my reaction, she was just twitching to tell Sookie. If Sookie reacted awfully, I could not be held accountable to what I'd do next. I tried to rein it in, leaning against the counter my arms crossed stiffly.

"Get out of the way you big goon," Sookie said pushing me aside so she could get a bowl out of the cupboard.

"Sookie, before you start breakfast, can I talk to you about something?" Felicia finally piped up.

Sookie turned around ever the gracious hostess, a big smile on her face. I helped her onto the stool and put a hand on her back scared that she'd topple over, even though I knew she was a grown woman – the baby threw off her equilibrium slightly.

"You know, that night when I first met Bill and I took him home because of the storm."

"Yep," Sookie said. I think the pregnancy was messing with her brain. It was so obvious what she was about to say, but Sookie just smiled away like everything was all right.

Felicia had tears well up in her eye and I had to refrain from smacking her. It was wrong, I know, but she was doing this to add to her manipulation. Sookie immediately reached out and grabbed Felicia's hand.

"Felicia, what is it?" she whispered, kind and concerned. Fucking _bitch_ I was going to kick her to the curb. I stilled, trying to not let any of my fury out.

A choked sob escaped my ex-girlfriends lips. "Bill and I have been sleeping with together." Sookie froze. I could only see the top of her head and I really wondered what her expression was.

"What?" my wife asked softly. She let go of Felicia's hand. Crocodile tears. She had a fucking lot of them.

"I'm so sorry, it just happened," Felicia gasped.

"You're still sleeping with Bill?" Sookie asked weakly. I heard the disbelief and the strain in her voice. If she cried, so help Felicia...

Felicia's head was like those bobble head things, going in a million directions. Sookie leaned back into my hand. She was feeling the betrayal – I was right about Felicia and Sookie knew it now.

"I can't believe you did that." Really, Sookie? I would let her have her moment of disbelief. I would try not to be an ass and say 'I told you so'. My young, trusting wife. Oh well, it was a learning experience...Since when did I turn all apathetic?

"Please, I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?" Felicia burst through my thoughts. Sookie got off the chair, a hand on her stomach.

"Eric was right about you, Felicia. You said you would be good and I believed you." I saw my wife's face and she was shocked, looking close to tears. "You slept with _Bill_. Why?" she exploded. "Why? Out of everyone you chose _Bill_! I can't fathom what the hell was going through your brain. And his too! This is just _perfect_!" Her voice was loud as she began to pace. I kept my hands to myself. Hardly moving.

Felicia scrambled to her feet, looking desperate. "I never meant to hurt you."

Sookie's mouth hung open. "I think you did!" she snapped. "Maybe not consciously, but subconsciously! My God! This is exactly what Eric said would happen. You manipulate the situation! Were you not getting enough attention? Anders wasn't enough you have to go to _Bill_ when you know the kind of situation I'm in with him. Are you kidding me? Are you really that lacking in self-esteem? Self-worth?"

I couldn't have said it better myself. I cocked an eyebrow at Felicia who was looking at a loss of what to say.

The tears began to fall down Sookie's face. "This is ridiculous."

"Sookie, please," Felicia moved forward and I had to restrain myself from growling at her close proximity to Sookie. I really got insane when someone threatened my wife. I'd never had this before. The rage, yes. But over a woman? Well, yeah, but not in this way. It was primal and instinctual with Sookie. Not just some jealous teenaged fling. Felicia grabbed Sookie's hand and brought it to her chest. Sookie glared. "I'm so sorry. I don't want this to ruin our friendship. I just...I think I'm in love with Bill."

Sookie gasped and yanked her hand away. "_What_?" My thoughts exactly. It already took me a long time to understand how Sookie ever loved him, I still didn't get it. Now this. "No," Sookie shook her head. "No, no, NO!" She finally looked at me. I got the message.

"Felicia," I said. "Get the fuck out." I grabbed her upper arm and dragged her down the hall, she struggled against my strong hold. "You're not stressing my wife out when she's so close to the due date. Get the fuck out!" I whipped open the door and tossed her outside, she fell onto the walkway crying. "In fact. Don't even show your fucking face here again. I swear to God. I warned you. If you try and weasel your way back into her life, then you're in for it. Don't even try. Have a great fucking life with boring Bill." I slammed the door in her face and turned back to the kitchen still in a rage.

Sookie was back sitting at the island, her chin resting in her hand. She quickly wiped away the tears. I leaned against the counter watching her.

"Be calm. The baby," I said slowly.

She nodded numbly. I began to make breakfast for her as she sat by silently. "He's coming over tonight."

"Call him and tell him to fuck off. I'll do it for you," I said, cheerfully.

She didn't answer for a while. "No, I want to talk to him about it."

I sighed, audibly my disapproval. "Sookie. It'll just upset you. We can't have you stressed when the baby is so close."

"I know. I'm calming now. I'm...not as surprised as I was. He cheated on me before. I just," I heard her sniffle. I couldn't look back at her. A new fury would tear into me and I'd hunt down Felicia and Bill all at once. "I just hate that he...I'm sorry, Eric, but he might be the father and I don't want him to be." My heart broke.

I made her breakfast and we watched some TV before I left for work. I had to deal with inventory and orders coming in this afternoon. I told her to call me if _anything_ happened that upset her and left. We had gotten a car almost two months ago since it was a twenty minute drive to the club each day. I got in and drove, intending on heading to work but I found myself tossing my keys to the valet and heading up to Bill's room at his hotel.

I shuffled impatiently in the elevator. The man beside me probably felt my rage. I burst through once the doors opened and went down the hall to his room. I pounded on the door. There was shuffling and muttering. Bill opened the door and the fact that Felicia was there too, only doubled my fury. Without thinking, I punched Bill. He fell dropped to the ground like a ton of bricks.

"Eric!" Felicia screeched. I pulled him into the room and closed the door. He was out cold.

"Don't you say a word. Get a cup of water." Her eyes widened in fear and she got one. I dumped it on his face. Bill spluttered sitting up looking confused.

I crouched down to his sprawled figure. He looked at me, alarmed. He tried to back away.

"No," I said. "You're going to regret doing this to her," I growled. "You're lucky I don't kill you. She's _pregnant_ and if she goes into early labour because of this, I will. That baby is mine. I don't care what the fuck that paternity test says, it's mine. You're out. If you decide to have dinner with her tonight, you're going to say goodbye and tell her that you're done. You don't want the baby. She doesn't want you either. You're going to be kind and respectful. If anything goes wrong, I _will_ kill you," I vowed. I stood up knowing my height and glare was scaring the shit out of him. "I want you to call me when you're getting on that plane out of here." I turned to the door and whipped it open, storming out.

I was in an awful mood for the rest of the day. I wasn't the ideal boss, I had to admit. When dinner time hit and I knew Bill was over at _my _house with _my_ wife, I paced in my office. I felt beyond aggravated. I was worried. My cell was in my hand, glancing at it every five seconds. Hours passed and still, nothing. I had a horrid feeling. Something was going to happen. I knew, with every fibre of my being, that the baby was coming tonight.

I sat down at my desk, putting my head in my hands. I couldn't even go out there. Fuck it. I went to go call just as Sookie called me. My heart dropped.

"Min Älskling," I breathed.

"Uh, Eric," it was Bill. Fuck, fuck, fuck. "We're going to the hospital." I closed my eyes, trying to breathe deeply.

"I'll be there," I said, hanging up. I was at my feet and felt lost as to what to do next. I looked around and snatched my jacket, throwing it on. I looked around making sure I hadn't forgotten anything, my heart beating in my chest so loud that I couldn't hear anything else. I called Pam. "I'm going to the hospital," I said. "Sookie's there with Bill. I'm leaving the club."

"Alright," Pam said.

"I'll talk to John to look after the bar until you get here I snapped, impatiently. "Bye."

I went out into the pulsing lights, not in the mood for the early club-goers on a Wednesday night. I talked with John, it took longer than I would have liked. He was being annoying and was nervous about looking after the club for twenty fucking minutes. I was in my car, zooming faster than was necessary through the streets.

Which is when I got pulled over.

"Fuck," I cursed, putting my hands on the wheel. The cop came up and asked for my licence and registration. "Listen, my wife is at the hospital about to have our baby," I explained, glancing anxiously at the time. It'd been a half hour since Bill called. Fuck.

"Hmm, one moment," he said taking my licence back to his car. I wondered if I could grab my cell phone. I picked it up and dialled Sookie's number.

"Eric?" I heard her panicked voice. "Where are you?" she gasped.

"Sookie, I'm sorry. I rushed here and I was pulled over."

"Oh, God, Eric – Ah!" she cried out as a contraction hit her. I read about those. Oh fuck fuck fuck.

"Look, min Älskling, I'll be there soon. Okay, I'll –"

"Sir, can you please hang up?" I glared at the officer and did as he said.

"That was my wife," I said. He nodded, uncaring.

"Sir you have a record, I just ran your plate through."

Fuck my youth. "And that has to do with..."

"You've been pulled over two times before for speeding. You've been arrested..."

"Yes," I said through my teeth. "My wife is having our baby. I have to go _now_. I'll do court, I'll pay money, anything if you let me go for this moment."

The man wrote a ticket and handed it to me. I ignored the insane price and tried to drive as slowly as I could in my anxiety to get to the hospital. I hated, felt sick to my stomach, at the thought of Bill being there with Sookie and not me. I almost felt like he made her go into labour on purpose just to shove it in my face. I went through the underground parking, cursing to hell that there was none. I hated having a car. I hated it. I would rather walk an hour to work and back each day then go through the city with this hunk of metal. Now I remembered why I had avoided buying one my whole life.

I finally found a spot and had to race through the garage on foot to the elevator, which took too long so I jumped down the stairs. I found my way through the clinical, white halls and found the front desk.

"I'm looking for Sookie Stackhouse," I said to her. She smiled at the name and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm sorry, sir, do you know where she'd be?"

"She's having my baby," I snapped.

The woman looked alarmed. "You're on the first floor. She'd be on the fifth, the maternity ward." I pushed away from the desk and found the stairs taking them two at time, three in some instances.

I burst through the fifth floor and rushed to the desk identical to the one four floors down. I asked the same thing and the nurse told me the room number. I rushed down the hall and burst through to see Sookie leaning over the end of the bed panting, in the gown, Bill's hand on her back.

"You," I said quickly, pointing at Bill.

"Eric," Sookie gasped, looking at me desperately.

"Get the fuck out," I pointed my thumb over my shoulder. Bill looked twitchy. He was seriously considering holding his ground.

"Bill, maybe, you should..." Sookie said quickly. Bill nodded, leaning over and kissing her head. I resisted the urge to physically remove him.

"I'll be outside the entire time," he promised her. I saw the black eye I gave him. I smirked at him as he walked past me.

"Oh, Bill, it could be hours and hours. We'll...call you after," Sookie gasped, before moaning and clutching her stomach. I shoved Bill toward the door.

"I'll be here," he said. Meet the door, Bill. I pushed it closed. I went to Sookie and she held my hand immediately. Despite the fact that she was squeezing semi-hard I felt smug that she held my hand through her pain and not Bill's.

"Oh shit," she said when it was done.

"Why don't you get back in the bed," I suggested.

"It's too hot," she complained. "And if I stand, I figure, gravity will help and the baby will fall out. So we won't have to be here long," she heaved as I helped her into a comfortable position on the bed. "Ice?" she asked me. I looked over at the side table to see ice chips and gave her one. I brushed her hair back from her face. "Can you put one on my forehead? God, I've only been in real labour for an hour and a half and I'm already falling apart."

As I carefully put the ice to her forehead I asked, "What do you mean 'real labour'?"

"Oh well, I felt a weird thing early this morning. You know, when you came home late? But, it started to get annoying when you left."

"Why didn't you say anything?" I hissed, feeling like a horrible husband for not noticing.

"Well, I kept thinking 'this can't be labour. It's like a stomach ache or something,'" she explained. She grabbed my hand. "I'm just so glad you're here. Dinner with Bill was...stressful."

"Did he force this?" I asked immediately.

"Eric," she sighed before she was hit with another contraction. The doctor and nurse walked in at that moment and examined Sookie. I have to say, it made me uncomfortable watching a man look between my wife's legs, even if it was procedural and completely non-sexual – I didn't like it. That view was for me only.

"Three centimetres dilated," he announced. "It may be a long night."

"Is it bad that she is early?" I asked.

"Well," the doctor said. "Anywhere between two weeks before the due date and two weeks after is alright. Your son is the right size and everything seems to be going okay. He's eager to get out and greet his mom." 'He', I scoffed. I was having a daughter. No doctor was going to tell me differently.

The nurse popped up. She could barely speak English. I was glad she was doing so for Sookie though. "Do you know what you're going to call him?"

"It doesn't matter, we're having a girl," I said snippily.

"Can I have that epidural now?" Sookie interrupted the nurse from answering. The nurse nodded. I wasn't so sure about her using drugs but there was no stopping her. And if it stopped the pain, I guess it was alright. I held her hand as they inserted the massive needle in her spine.

Pam came in to see us the next morning with food for me, since Sookie wasn't in the mood for any. We'd been up all night and Sookie had been in labour for over twelve hours now and seven centimetres dilated from last check. My wife was having a contraction when Pam popped in and then promptly popped back out. Sookie didn't seem to be having to hard of a time with the contractions, especially since the epidurals.

When Pam entered again, she thought the labour process was over. "God," Pam said after Sookie finished. "How long does this go on for?"

"Do you not know anything about labour Pam, how is that possible? Didn't you learn it in school," Sookie asked tiredly, leaning back and looking as if she'd pass out. I kissed her hand, holding it tight even though she didn't have to, _I_ felt reassured.

"I skipped it to smoke in the loos," she flashed her teeth. "What a useless class."

The nurse came in and Pam raced out. He told us that Sookie was nine centimetres dilated and it wouldn't be long now.

"Um," Sookie said holding her stomach. "I think the epidurals fading," she said contorting her face and squeezing my hand tighter than she had yet. She let out a short scream. "Can I get another one, quick," she said flustered to the nurse.

"I'm sorry. It's too late now," he said, looking apologetic.

"What?" Sookie asked flatly. "No, no, I've been in labour for fifteen hours. This is not going to be the last hour from hell!" she snapped.

"Oh well," the nurse said. "I wouldn't say the baby is ready in an hour. The last centimetre can be long."

Sookie did not look amused and frankly, neither was I. I wanted this over with I wanted to see the baby. So for the next two hours when Sookie suffered itense labour pains and my hand did too she was finally asked to push. Everything seemed to stop but Sookie and her agony over getting the baby out. Actually, considering the seventeen hours she was 'about to have the baby', pushing didn't take long at all and soon the room was filled with a crying baby. I peered down between her legs at the alien baby dribbled in gross goop.

"It's beautiful," I told Sookie, still holding her hand as I stared at it, grossed out. A little lie is nice in this situation. I quickly looked away and at the baby.

"It's a boy!" the doctor said, grinning at Sookie, who laughed from relief.

"Not, it's not," I said quickly. "It's a girl." The nurse and doctor looked closer down again.

"Oh," the doctor said slowly. Sookie sat up.

"What? What did I have? Is it a boy or is it a girl?"

"We'll just get it cleaned up," the doctor said.

I looked back at my wife, kissing her sweaty forehead. "Shh, it's okay, it's a girl."

"Your judgement sucks, Eric," she snapped. I shook my head, used to her being short with me for the past few hours. The nurse came back with a cleaner, reddy-purple baby.

"Congratulations, you have a little girl," she smiled and Sookie burst into tears as the baby was put in her arms. I leaned on the side, my arm around my wife and _really_ looked at the baby. My heart swelled. I had been right. It was a girl. It was mine. I looked down at the baby in awe.

"It's so tiny," I whispered. Sookie laughed and looked up at me, kissing my chin.

"Oh, Eric, I love you," she sobbed. I kissed her nose, my hand resting near the baby's head. It looked as if I could just curl my fingers slightly and I'd crush the baby entirely. How terrifying.

"I love you too," I said absently, absorbed in this little being.

I didn't know how to feel. I sat by as Sookie cooed at the baby and I tried to find any distinguishing feature that made her mine. She was completely bald and she hadn't opened her eyes. The little bits of hair on her head were blond, but again, that didn't mean much with a baby. I frowned.

"Eric?" she asked me. "Are you okay?"

I looked at her concerned blue eyes, a lighter colour from mine. "I love her," I said simply, and it was completely true. It terrified me how much I cared about her and Sookie now. My heart was pounding, my body was shaking. I just wanted to keep this little bubble forever. Nothing to bother us, nothing to hurt them.

"Me too," Sookie said softly. "Are you worried?"

"No. Are you?"

"Not now." I kissed her head again and looked at the baby, too afraid to touch it.

The nurse interrupted us and I nearly growled at her. "We're going to take the baby to the nursery to check up on her."

"Oh," Sookie looked from me to the nurse as she handed her over. I didn't like this anymore than Sookie. The woman left the room to an incubator outside. Sookie grabbed my arm. "You follow that baby," she ordered. And I did.

As I watched through the glass window, on the phone with Pam trying to describe the baby to her, Bill sidled up beside me. I hung up on Pam and glanced down at the smaller man.

"Which one is he?"

"It's a girl," I said smugly. Bill seemed to realize that I was right about that theory. His eyes bugged out and I begrudgingly pointed in the sort of direction. Let him ponder over which baby it was. I bet he couldn't tell because he didn't have the fatherly instinct. I knew her though. I picked her out immediately without any other indication other than my gut. That had to be good right? I wondered when the baby could go back to Sookie. I felt bad for leaving her in the room, but I knew she'd feel better about me here with the baby than anywhere else.

It wasn't long before Pam slipped between Bill and I. "Which one is it?" she asked as if it were a pair of shoes. I pointed her out and my cousin snorted right away.

"Oh yeah, that's your baby alright," she said to me. "Now you don't need a paternity test. You're welcome."

I wondered if she was right. Pam always had good instincts though. I caught sight of Bill red face at her words. Looked like someone else thought the baby girl was mine too. I couldn't hold the smile from my face as I stared at my daughter and couldn't wait to return to my wife with the baby safe and sound with us.


	10. My Baby Daddy

**Anne Shirley**: _You just think that you love me._  
**Gilbert Blythe**: _Anne, I've loved you as long as I can remember. I need you.  
- _Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel

Chapter 10: My Baby Daddy

"We're home, baby," I cooed, holding her carefully in the car seat. Eric held the door open as I walked through the entrance of our home the next day. It was so weird to finally here with a baby, my daughter. I looked up at Eric and back at _our_ daughter. He spent a good hour last night convincing me.

"You know how I know?" he whispered softly. Somehow he squished onto the narrow bed with me, Alina between us. She had briefly opened her eyes and they were Eric's – the same bright, vivid sapphire eyes. I had cried when I connected the two. Now, hours later we were basking in her sweet sleep. I was too wired to shut my eyes and Eric seemed to be in the same boat. Needless to say, we still had a paternity test. I wanted to make sure and the results would be mailed to us in five more days or so.

"How?" I laughed slightly, feeling completely over the moon. I stroked her soft cheek and I noticed Eric was very careful not to touch her. I watched him, his eyes fixated on his daughter. As much as I believed he was the father now, I would not get my hopes too high. I touched his cheek and he looked up at me.

"I feel that she's mine. Like, when I saw you – I knew you were mine," his lips touched mine briefly and I couldn't help but smile.

"Technically I'm still a Stackhouse," I said, shrugging.

"You could be a Northman, along with your daughter." I watched him, his eyes still on mine as he leaned down and kissed the top of our daughter's head. My heart fluttered. He never looked sexier and I was never less in the mood. I laughed slightly.

"Maybe," I said. "My name goes well with my last name. It sounds weird with Northman."

"Just repeat it a lot, it'll sound good," he pushed his nose to mine and soon I had fallen asleep.

Eric let out a sigh of relief when he closed the door and we were away from the hospital sounds and noises. We stood at the entry taking off our jackets. We'd only been settled here for four months but it already felt like home. Much more than his apartment had. This was our place. Him and me and Alina.

"Now what?" he asked me. I really had no idea.

"We could take her to the nursery," I suggested. Eric nodded enthusiastically. He picked up the capsule carefully, worried about his daughter settled in and held it close to his face as we went upstairs. I felt a bit nervous, not knowing what to expect now that it was just us three.

"I can't tell – is she sleeping?"

Once we were in the nursery, we looked around unsure of what to do next. "I kind wished she would cry," I found myself saying. Eric scrunched up his nose.

"Get the pillow, we'll watch TV," he pointed to the breast-feeding pillow, I took it and we went back downstairs.

So we sat on the couch with her nestled close to my breast and watched a movie until I had to feed her.

"Is this all we do now? Sit and wait for her to cry?" Eric asked, eyeing me.

I shrugged. "I don't know any more than you do. I think babies are easy. When they start moving, there are no boring moments."

He nodded thoughtfully. I watched him trying to gear up and ask me something. "Can I hold her?" Eric finally said.

I smiled. "You don't have to ask Eric."

He raised his brows. "You want me to just snatch her?"

"Shut up," I said, lifting her carefully, placing her in Eric's large hands. I sat back watching him carefully bring her close to his body. It was nice seeing him with our daughter in our living room. I grinned as the careful moments passed. He revelled in her, looking truly shocked by the small person in his hand, a slow smile reaching across his lips. Until she started to cry.

"Okay, you can take her back now," Eric said, panic in his voice.

"Why?" I flummoxed at his urgency to get her away from him as he tried to pass her over.

"I think this means I'm not her daddy," he said quickly, his eyes widening.

"What?" I burst. "Eric you're being ridiculous! Hold her, comfort her."

"But she's crying," he said, looking completely shaken.

"She's cried before."

"But she only cried when I held her."

"Be her father, make it better," I snapped. I watched him try rocking her back and forth as her little arms moved in agitation, her face red, her mouth open and wide as cries escaped her. "I thought you had a reputation of being good with women," I found myself teasing him despite his current trauma.

He shot me a look and he bounced her in the slightest of ways. "This isn't working. Is she hungry? Do we have to change her?" We did both and she was still fussy. I excused myself to the bathroom and in the distance I heard her settle. When I came back in, Eric was sprawled as much as he could be across the couch and she was resting flat on his chest, falling asleep. Eric looked relieved and gave me a pleased look. It was just too cute. I went to make some tea and toast and when I came back Eric was asleep too. I think I took about a thousand pictures and then sat in the armchair until they both woke up.

***

I felt a swift kick in the back. Oh for crying out loud. I turned my head to see my daughter sprawled out across the bed. When she had crawled in she had been nice and compact, but for the past hour she had slowly been turning around like clock hands. I wasn't going to get any sleep tonight if she kept this up. I'd put her back in her bed. She shouldn't be in here anyway. She started snoring. I swear it was not right for a kid to have such breathing problems at age two. She was just like her father.

"Ali," I snapped. "Shh." I put the pillow over my head and she snored away. I glanced at the clock. When Eric got home, he was putting her back to bed. I couldn't handle this anymore. I did not want to be awake until three in the morning each day because she was convinced there was monsters under the bed after Pam read her that _stupid_ bed-time story last month. She'd been crawling into our bed every night since, especially when Eric worked late.

Her knee was digging into my back. I turned around, knowing it was dangerous to be within her limbs reach with my face. I picked her up slightly, too exhausted to do it properly and put her further away from me on the king sized bed. I settled back at my side of the bed. I was just about to fall back into sleep when, somehow, she had made her way to my side again.

I heard the front door open at three-thirty. Eric came up the stairs exhausted. He shuffled about the room for a moment before he approached the bed.

"Get her out," I said into the dark, not even saying hello.

"No," he said. I heard him crawl on the other side and I looked over. I watched him gather her in his arms and snuggle her close to his chest, falling asleep instantly. I glared at him, knowing she'd stay put now that she was in daddy's arms.

Also, I was a little jealous.

When I woke up the next morning, Eric and Alina were in the exact same position as when I had fallen asleep at three. They really were adorable. As annoying as it was, it made my heart inflate. Sighing, I got out of bed and trudged downstairs to get some coffee.

I started to make some Sunday morning breakfast and just like I thought, Eric came down with Alina still half asleep on his shoulder as I made the bacon and started the pancakes.

"Eric, she can barely walk down the stairs because you carry her everywhere, put her down," I said. He was such a marshmallow with her.

"But she's sleepy," he pouted. I glared at him and he set her down in her seat. He went over to grab some coffee and settled next to her.

"Hi momma," she yawned, rubbing her eyes.

I put a hand on top of her blond hair, pushing it back so I could kiss her forehead. She gave me the cutest smile. Alright, I could be just as bad as Eric. "You have to start sleeping in your own bed, baby. Mommy can't take it anymore. That goes for you too," I poked his shoulder and went back to finishing up the breakfast.

We sat down with our food and immediately Eric swiped bacon off Alina's plate. "Hey," I said slapping his hand, he dropped it and Alina giggled.

"She doesn't want it. Right, kanin? Give Daddy your bacon," Eric winked at Alina who just smiled.

"Here," she used her hands and picked up all the bacon, throwing it on Eric's plate. I didn't think her hands were particularly sanitary but Eric ate away at the bacon anyway. I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but smile at the exchange.

Eric went to take a shower and I had laundry to fold. Alina stayed in our room playing with her dolls while I sorted out the clothes on our made bed. When she heard the shower turn off, she dropped her toys and began jumping up and down outside the bathroom door.

"Daddy! Come out!" she shouted, laughing and banging on the door.

"Ali, stop," I said. "You're dad will be out soon." She began making up a nonsensical song, bouncing and jumping while Eric shaved and did who knows what in that room. Honestly, he was like a woman. He finally opened the door, in his towel, trying to get past his daughter to get fresh clothes. Alina barely reached his knees, him looking down at her jumping figure was endearing.

"What is it?" he asked her, bending down giving him an Eskimo kiss. She leaned against the door frame. Eric smiled and closed the bathroom door.

And then the scream of all screams broke through our house and probably the entire neighbourhood.

Eric opened the bathroom door again quickly and I saw my daughter's tiny hand drenched in blood. She had her hand in the doorjamb near the hinges and Eric shut the door without realizing.

"Oh my God!" I screamed, feeling faint at the sight. Alina was screaming and crying and jumping and Eric dropped to his knees. "Eric! Oh my God!" was all I could gasp out. He held Alina still and grabbed her arm. He picked her up and put it under cold water in the bathroom. I shakily walked in. "Oh my God," I said again. Eric glared at me and shut the bathroom door in my face. That was probably for the best. I sat down on the bed with my head in my hands, the image of my daughters bleeding hand imprinted in my head. She was still screaming and crying and I heard Eric's low rumble as he tried to ease her. He emerged and Alina was holding onto him, her hand wrapped in a towel.

"Watch your hand, kanin. We're going to the hospital," he said. He set her on the ground and she didn't move a muscle as he got rid of the towel around his waist and began throwing on clothes. I went over to her and picked her up, she buried her face in my neck, crying 'mommy' over and over. I started to cry too. He came back to me, his hair still wet, his expression frazzled and he took her back into his arms. He left the room and I followed them feeling dizzy.

"You're staying here," Eric said to me, as he went down the stairs.

"What, why?" I snapped.

"You're hysterical. We don't need two crying at the hospital," Eric said pointedly.

"I am not!"

"Can you get her information?" he asked above Alina's noise, sitting her down on the couch and putting her shoes on. I ran into the kitchen and opened the drawer where I kept all the important documents for the three of us.

I watched him leave, the pain on my daughter's face, breaking my heart.

So what? He wanted me to tend house while he acted hero? I grumbled and soon found myself vigourously cleaning out the fridge. Yuck. Time seemed to slow down for the rest of the afternoon and Eric didn't return home with Alina until almost five. I rushed to the front door and took her in my arms before Eric could put her down.

"Oh, baby, are you alright?" I pulled back.

"Look," she held out her finger and it was in a cast, wrapped past her wrist. "It broke!" she grinned, looking absolutely pleased as punch with her injury.

"It's broken?" I asked weakly.

"Just her pinky," Eric said, he gave me a guilty smile and I glared at him turning into the living room and plopping on the couch with Alina.

"Look at what you're daddy did," I said kissing her finger while she was nestled on my lap.

"Daddy singed," she said. She looked up at Eric and their identical blue eyes met and he sat beside me. "He sorry."

"I'm sure," I said. She let out a big yawn and Eric pulled out a prescription from behind his back.

"Sleepy," his eyes lit up and his eyebrows waggled suggestively. Yeah, like I would fuck him after that. I ignored him.

"Do you want some food?" I asked her. She nodded weakly and I carried her into the kitchen, setting her in her seat. I made chicken fingers and when I looked over she was sleeping in her highchair. "Can you wake her? She needs food."

Eric nudged her belly and soon he was talking to her, trying to keep her awake, even though her head kept drooping down.

She ate her dinner lazily and soon Eric was carrying her up to her bed, nestling her tight. I was downstairs cleaning up when he attacked me from behind. I let out a shout when he whirled me around and kissed me hard. I shoved at his chest, which was bare. He had stripped before his sneak attack. What a freak.

"You have to be more careful," I said, and he brought his lips to my neck. I felt his erection pressing into my stomach.

"I know," he said and sucked my skin. I moved my head to the side. "I feel bad."

"You're not showing it," I said as his hand moved to undo my jeans. He pulled away for an instant, his hand still busy.

"I went on my knees and begged for her forgiveness. I'd do it every day for her if I had to. But she's a kid, those things don't set in," he shrugged, smiling slightly before kissing me again. He pulled my pants down to my ankles in one fluid motion. "I think we can be loud. She's out cold." I lifted myself onto the counter and he pulled my pants clean off. "Bye, bye shirt," he said tossing it on the floor. He had my breasts free in record time and he latched onto my hardening nipple. I moaned. It had been five days since we last had sex. Fuck.

"Let's have sex outside," he said, lifting me up. My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist.

"What?" I asked as he walked us to the door and opened it into our back yard. I felt a chill. I held onto him.

"You'll warm soon," he said. "We should make another baby too."

"Why? Because you broke the first one?"

"Ha ha, you're so funny," he said kneeling down and laying me on the cool grass.

"This is disgusting."

"It's fucking sexy," he said. He sat on his knees and looked down at me, obviously finding me in the dirt to be a turn-on. I, on the other hand, imagined all the bugs that I was lying on. I pushed at his chest.

"If you want to have sex out here, you're the one on your back," I said. He smiled and fell down. I straddled him, still more than a little grossed out.

"You're beautiful."

"You already have me on top of you. Don't need to seduce me," I mumbled, putting my hands on his chest, pinching his nipples. He smirked. "You're taking a hot hot shower after this."

"Will you join me?"

"Maybe." His hand slipped between us to rub my clit, I moaned, arching my back. His other went over my breast squeezing it and paying special attention to my nipple. I felt one of his long fingers enter me and I began to move against him. I tried not to be loud. I didn't want the neighbours to know.

When we were both well spent, I stood up quickly, remembering we were outside after that orgasm took my mind, to head back inside when I looked over at the house next to us to see the teenage boy living there staring. I screeched and jumped behind Eric who gave him a polite wave. The boy waved back enthusiastically, looking as if he had no intention of leaving.

"I always wanted someone to watch me fuck and take note," Eric said. I pinched his ass, and ran inside, mortified. Eric followed me inside, much slower and more relaxed.

"You're a pervert," I said, running up the stairs. I heard him race after me and I was lurched with an excited fear before he snapped his arms around my waist when I was only halfway up the stairs. I screamed and he locked a hand over my mouth carrying me up to our bedroom while I struggled. He closed the door and I bit into his hand. He cursed and let me go.

"That wasn't baby making sex that was dirty fucking. Let's go for round two," he said, his gaze darkening as he advanced. I sat on the bed shaking my head.

"No babies," I said stubbornly. At twenty-five, I still had a lot of time to have more children. What was the rush?

"I want five," he informed me. I stretched out on the bed as he crawled over my body.

"Find four other women who will carry these children," I stuck my tongue out at him and he took the opportunity to suck on it. I wrapped my arms around his neck to deepen the kiss.

"You're my baby momma," he said huskily, and I heard his accent that would go in and out, depending on his mood. It especially got thick when he talked to me through foreplay and sex.

"Shut up. Let's take a shower," I said, remembering where we had just been. He grinned lifting me off the bed, my legs wrapped around his waist while he took me to get cleaned up.

***

"I'm nervous."

We were taking Alina to her first day of preschool, bright and early Monday morning in September. She skipped down the hall ahead of us unable to contain her excitement.

"I think she's too young."

"Don't worry."

"What if other kids tease her?"

"No one will tease her."

"Kids are mean."

"Eric. Shut up," I said. I grabbed his arm. "Look, she's happy." Alina was dancing around asking us where the classroom was. She was speaking half in English and half in Swedish. Hopefully school would help her with that problem.

"I'll beat up who's ever raised their kids to be mean to her," Eric said crossing his arms, settled on the matter.

"You're so clingy," I revelled, rolling my eyes, leaving him behind while I followed my daughter to her class. I remembered our time this morning.

I felt Eric get out of bed at around five. I groaned a complaint at him, he'd probably only been home for an hour and a half. Obviously he hadn't slept at all. I snuggled closer to the blankets when I heard the door open. I looked over to see him carrying Alina, sleeping in his arms.

"You're such a baby," I told him. He crawled into bed and put her between us.

"Face us, Sookie," he whispered. I rolled over and stared at him. "I love you," he reached out and touched my face. "I just had to have both of you here."

"Mmm. Go back to sleep."

"You nervous about her starting school?" he asked across.

"Yes, but we need sleep," I muttered. "Don't wake her either."

Of course, she only slept for about another hour before I was awoken by her and Eric talking in Swedish. It was their private conversation. I could pick out half of what they were saying, but toddlers were already confusing, never mind the other language. I reached out and grabbed her pulling her into my chest and kissing her face, her giggles loud and high, nearly breaking my ear drums.

"Are you nervous?" I asked in her ear.

"No," she laughed and squirmed out of my hold. I looked over at Eric who was grinning from ear to ear at us.

"If anyone makes you sad, daddy will kill them," Eric stated, still smiling.

"Eric!" I said, putting my hand over her ears. "She doesn't need to know her father is a psycho." Eric straightened his face.

"If a boy kisses you, he has to meet me first," Eric said. Alina giggled and put her hands over her face, wiggling around. Her next priority was to get us out of bed.

We met with the teacher who shook both our hands. She looked startled by Eric. She blushed when he would ask her about snack time and nap time. We already asked these things when we signed her up for school. He was such a worrier. I refrained from rolling my eyes.

"Baby, I think you should stop," I said, putting my hand on his arm. I looked over at Alina who had already settled herself at a life-size for toddler's dollhouse, playing outside, by herself. Eric and I were looking at her while the teacher explained that everything would be alright. Eric snorted in disbelief and I wondered when he would ever mature.

"Look, Eric," I said nudging him. "She's got a friend." I smiled holding his arm and leaning into him.

The little girl's voice travelled across the room. With what I knew about Swedish she had just asked Alina if she wanted to be her friend. Alina glanced at the girl, and to my absolute horror, she punched the girl in the nose. I gasped and gripped Eric's arm tight. The teacher ran over where the girl started crying, having fallen on her bottom. Alina turned back to her task.

"Alina!" I snapped, my shock wearing off I went over and grabbed her arm. "Apologize," I said, turning her to face the girl on the floor.

She reluctantly held her ground, refusing to speak. I shook her slightly. "Alina. Now." She mumbled an apology and the teacher settled the hysterical girl while I brought my well mannered daughter to her father. "You're in big trouble when we get home." Eric didn't say anything. What a help. I was the disciplinarian of the house.

Eventually we had to leave. Eric tried to hug her and she pushed him away for the first time ever. I hoped she didn't become that weird loner kid who hates others interfering on their playtime. I was very nervous about this and when the teacher closed the door on our faces, it felt awful.

I wouldn't cry. I looked tried to talk through the pain. "Did you see what she did?" I asked him. "I think we should have integrated her with more kids."

Eric crossed his arms, his jaw set, his brows furrowed. He was trying to be very manly about the fact that his daughter was at school. "I'm glad."

I was too distraught to be angry. "You're glad she hit the girl?" I asked in disbelief. I looped my arm through his and we slowly started to move away from the classroom.

"It means she will choose her friends right. She won't be so trusting, like her mother."

"Hey," I said. "What does that mean?"

"It means you let a random stranger follow you around Europe. If Alina ever does that, I will stop it." I tugged at his arm and he looked down at me.

"Um, listen here buddy. You wouldn't have Alina if I wasn't so trusting," I said.

He stopped and put his hands on my waist, firmly holding me in place. "Sookie, I am so glad that you are easily convinced."

"Shut up. Now I feel like I should never have let you follow me."

"Promise you won't let no other men follow you. I am here now. I will kill them."

"You're too liberal with your death threats," I muttered. "You should be thankful," I said poking him in the chest. He nodded and kissed my lips slowly, in the middle of the hall of a school. I was well aware of this, where Eric was interested in pushing me against the wall. I moaned my protest and pushed his face away from mine. I added, "I hope she's not like me either. But also, if she's a clingy, hand-killing obnoxious asshole like her father, I'd have a problem with that too."

"Psh," he breathed. "You love it."

I smiled at him and I tried to move us out of the school so he didn't get anymore sexy ideas. "We should do it again," he continued, once we stepped outside into the early morning sun.

"Do what?"

"Go through Europe."

"That sounds desperate," I frowned. "Like, we need the spark back so let's retrace our steps."

His mouth hung open in shock. "Nu-uh. We can bring Alina. Next summer."

I grabbed his hand and he smiled at me. "I thought you wanted more kids. Now you want to wait a summer?"

"Well obviously we'll have to go while you're pregnant if we are retracing," he smirked.

"What if I was pregnant now?" I asked slowly. He squeezed my hand and whirled me around. I scrunched up my nose. "You set your mind on something – nothing can stop that super sperm," I said pointing to his crotch.

He let out a shout and then picked me up whirling me around, his mouth at my neck, kissing. "We're going home so I can fuck you," he decided.

"I have work," I wheezed in his iron clad hold.

"Too fucking bad." I laughed as he practically carried me all the way home.

I was in his arms for the rest of the day – he wouldn't let me go.

**AN: THE END.**

**Thanks to my beta: beatlechickstep who helped me for this entire story. YOU ROCK.**

**Thanks to all of you who followed Euro!Eric and Sookie through their crazy adventures. I'm going to miss him so much.**

**Some of you might be upset about the lack of Bill -- but I'll be posting a spoof of Maury, the European version pretty soon and Bill's reaction will be there. I just wanted this last chapter to be light and fluffy after a much darker sequel.  
**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you -- and review! :D  
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